


Wilted Rose

by RaphaelComet



Series: Simpler Times: A Tale of Two Sisters [2]
Category: Star Fox Series
Genre: Alkion (Planet), Anthro, Anthropomorphic, Assassin - Freeform, Crimzon Roses, F/M, Furry, Military, Neonia (Planet), Sniper - Freeform, Traitor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:13:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 51,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25455985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaphaelComet/pseuds/RaphaelComet
Summary: Maj. Lucretia Ren, a decorated soldier of the Cornerian military, goes rogue after a botched mission and joins a group of pirates. After finding that pirate life isn’t for her, Lucretia takes on a new identity and begins living the life of an assassin for hire.
Relationships: Lucretia Ren & Devan Chu, Lucretia Ren & Wendy Shoemaker, Lucretia Ren / Rayff
Series: Simpler Times: A Tale of Two Sisters [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1843777





	1. Priorities

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of my Simpler Times project which I wrote way back while I was still in school. A lot of the project is old and in dire need of updating, so most of it won’t be posted for a while.
> 
> All characters are my OCs.
> 
> * **NOTICE** * Story contains explicit language.  
> * **NOTICE** * Story has graphic scenes of violence throughout.
> 
> Reposted from my FanFiction page:

“Don’t worry; you’ll be fine. I’ve got your back.”

Corporal Devan nodded in acknowledgement and stepped off the ramp, crossing her arms over her chest while remaining as straight as she could. Lucretia looked over the edge and watched as her partner plunged into the water below, slipping below the surface without so much as a single ripple.

“Good luck, ma’am!” said the dropship’s crew chief, trying to voice himself over the dull hum of the ship’s engines.

Staff Sergeant Lucretia gave him a half salute then stepped off the ramp as well, piercing the water’s surface the same way her partner had just moments ago. The chill of the nighttime air, combined with the sudden rush of water against her face, heightened her sense of awareness. She felt calm as she returned to the surface, the cold breeze nipping at her wet face. Looking up, she searched the sky for the transport that brought them to the insertion point, an oasis in the middle of the desert. Even though it was dark, there was just enough light from the moons to see the dropship fly away towards the horizon.

To avoid detection by the enemy, Lucretia and Devan were dropped miles away from their target, choosing to deploy at night in order to utilize the cover of darkness during their insertion. The ship they came in on was disguised as a civilian transport to throw off any lurking pirate scouts in the area. The ship didn’t stop and linger to drop them off, so they had to plunge into the water below as it flew by, though it was at a slow enough pace.

Looking further up into the sky, Lucretia noticed the stars and couldn’t help but admire them for a brief moment. A brief moment of levity before a long haul was always something she appreciated, and they had a long way to walk.

Seeing her partner lost in deep thought, probably pondering about some minute thing, Devan tossed a pebble from the shore at her to break her out of the trance. “C’mon, ma’am. I’ve already retrieved my gear from the bottom of the pool,” she said.

After shaking off her musing, Lucretia looked to Devan and refocused on the mission. “Sorry about that. Just don’t get to see the stars like this that often in the city,” she said with a bit of hesitation in her voice. Remembering the mission, she dove under the water and searched around for the bag containing her gear. Although she was swimming in combat boots, she still managed to swiftly navigate through the small lake, kicking rapidly through the water. With the moons above providing some light, she looked back and forth along the bottom then finally spotted the fluorescent stripes on her black duffel bag.

Lucretia started to swim towards it until without warning, she felt something grasp her leg. She was then pulled forcefully away through the water, bubbles escaping her mouth as she gasped from the surprise. When she turned around, she saw what had grabbed her: a desert crackaw which was a massive crab-like creature with two lethal claws and a bioluminescent body. It stood four feet tall, walked on six legs, and wielded two meaty claws that could pierce some of the densest metals.

The creature had Lucretia’s leg gripped lightly at the moment, so she acted quickly before she lost a limb. She drew her sidearm and emptied the magazine into the creature’s vulnerable spot: its exposed eyes. The raging crab let go of her as it drifted downwards to the bottom of the pool, spewing its light-blue blood into the water. After holstering her gun, she quickly swam back to the surface before she ran out of air, gasping heavily as she breached the surface.

“Ma’am, are you okay!?” asked Devan as she watched from nearby. Her sidearm was drawn and ready to defend her partner from the unseen assailant.

“I’m fine. It was just a pesky crackaw,” said Lucretia before taking a deep breath and going back under to recover her bag. After retrieving it, she swam over to Devan who was already on the shore checking her equipment. “You seem eager to get started,” she said as she opened up her bag.

“I’m just excited to finally be doing another op with you, ma’am,” said Devan with a smile. “It makes me happy to do these kinds of missions. Alone in a remote area. Just the two of us. It’s a perfect time to have some good quality girl talk, ya know?”

“If that’s the only reason you signed up to be a recon sniper, then you’re messed up in the head,” said Lucretia. “But small talk once in a while is nice, I guess.”

Devan smiled contently and said, “You know, ma’am, I think it was pretty lucky of me to have finished my training assignment early, wouldn’t you say? I was able to get back just in time for the mission.”

Lucretia looked away and frowned. “I wouldn’t exactly call it lucky,” she said.

“What do you mean, Lucky? Don’t you like having me as a partner?” asked Devan with a confused look.

“Yes… No. You know what? Just forget it. Continue with your business, Rook,” said Lucretia.

“Okay. Whatever you say, Lucky,” said Devan. The two had little trouble getting their equipment squared away, and after that, they moved on to assembling their weapons. “Um, Lucky? The bolt isn’t fitting right into the upper receiver…,” she said as she fiddled with her rifle’s parts.

Lucretia glared at Devan before scooting over next to her. “Here you are, after two years of field experience, asking me how to secure a bolt home? Are you serious?” she asked.

“I think there’s something blocking it,” said Devan.

Lucretia rolled her eyes and placed her hand on Devan’s, leading her in the proper motion of installing the part. Devan blushed slightly but immediately turned away once she realized it, making sure that Lucretia didn’t see.

“All you have to do is firmly hold it, and then ram it home till it clicks,” said Lucretia while still holding Devan’s hand. “You probably didn’t lubricate it and that’s why it’s not fitting.”

“Um, thank you, ma’am,” said Devan.

“You’re welcome. Now that’s the last amateur screw up out of you, you get me? I’ve trained you better than that,” said Lucretia.

“Don’t worry. I think I got it now,” said Devan while giving Lucretia a nod. She then went back to work reassembling her rifle which had to be broken down in order to fit in the bag.

Next to her, Lucretia packed all of the gear from her duffel bag somewhere on her person, stowing it away in the several pockets and pouches located on her tactical vest, fatigues, or utility belt. “Let’s get moving. We need to find a suitable place to rest until the storm passes,” she said once she was done.

There was a sandstorm raging near where they were situated, so they decided to sleep and wait in the oasis until it passed. Lucretia checked her internally suppressed submachine gun then began making her way through the thick oasis foliage, chopping it down one plant at a time with her machete. Devan slung her suppressed sniper rifle over her shoulder then picked up her suppressed submachine gun as well, following right behind Lucretia as she cleared a path through the bush. After making it up the bank by the pool of water, they searched for a place to rest until morning.

“That looks like a good spot,” said Lucretia as she motioned towards a clearing under some palm trees. Their large leaves provided desirable cover while they slept, shielding them from the gaze of any aerial threats above. She and Devan meandered over to the clearing and laid on the sandy, desert ground to get some sleep. Lucretia was lying on her back with her arms folded behind her head while Devan was on her side, facing away from her.

“Get some rest, soldier. You’re going to need it for the long hike to our final firing position,” said Lucretia.

“R-Roger that, m-ma’am…,” said Devan as she tried to get comfy.

As Lucretia laid there, she winced as she thought she heard some chattering sounds coming from beside her. “Is that you making that sound?” she asked, looking over at Devan. She then saw her partner bundled up in the fetal position, shivering while rubbing her arms.

“Y-Yes, m-ma’am,” said Devan through chattering teeth.

“Are you… cold?” asked Lucretia.

“W-Well, this uniform was designed for the b-blistering temperatures of desert warfare, n-not the freezing cold,” said Devan. There was a brief moment of silence between the two as Lucretia watched her partner shiver next to her. Feeling an arm reach around her, Devan’s body tensed up. “M-Ma’am, what a-are you doing?”

“Calm down. I’m just trying to keep you warm,” said Lucretia as she wrapped her arms around Devan, moving her body up close to hers.

“By cuddling up with me?” asked Devan.

“Do you want me to share my body heat with you or not? I’m used to the cold, so I don’t mind sleeping by myself if you’re uncomfortable with this,” said Lucretia.

Devan paused for a moment and thought it over. “It’s fine. I want to stay warm,” she said.

“Good. I can’t have my shooter getting sick on me. I need you in tip-top condition when you take the shot,” said Lucretia as she held her partner close. Devan smiled and got more comfortable on the ground, her checks turning a slight shade of red as she closed her eyes.

#

“Stay down. Wait for them to pass,” said Lucretia as she watched an enemy patrol drive by on small, single-person scout vehicles. “Don’t do anything stupid, or I’ll have your hide.” She and Devan were lying prone on the searing desert sand next to some indigenous shrubs, waiting for a patrol to pass by before continuing on. The sun was up and about, raising temperatures to scorching levels. As they lay in wait, Devan made sure to lower the lens cap on her rifle’s scope to get rid of any glare that might’ve given away their position.

To complement their desert-style uniform and sniper role, they had ghillie suits packed along with the rest of their gear. The suit was sand colored and consisted of a blanket-like shroud that covered their backs, making them blend better with their surroundings. It allowed the shooter to remain hidden longer while remaining prone on the ground, or while moving in the crouched position. They were both wearing them which made the temperature seem even hotter, but it was bearable for the moment.

Once the patrol was gone, Lucretia and Devan rose from the sand and continued on. Devan wiped the sand from her body and followed behind her superior. While they trekked through the sand dunes of the arid desert terrain, Lucretia couldn’t help but let her mind wander again. She began thinking about her boyfriend and the many freedoms a life with him could offer. She smiled, recounting how she and he met in a casino one night and how he charmed her with riches.

Devan, feeling uneasy with the silence as they walked, decided to engage in small talk with her partner to pass the time. “So what kind of treasure are these guys after anyway, ma’am?” she asked.

Lucretia flinched then turned around. “What?” she asked.

Devan sighed and shook her head. “You’re zoning out again. You’re the one who’s usually on point, but not today. You feeling all right?” she asked.

“Oh, I just have a lot of things on my mind. That’s all,” said Lucretia.

“Really? Is there anything I can help with?” asked Devan, moving beside her partner.

“Nope. What I’m thinking about doesn’t concern you,” said Lucretia.

“Okay then. So again, I ask, what are these guys specifically after? In the mission briefing, all they said was that the pirates were after items of high value. But what? I mean, these pirates are going through a lot of trouble just for one measly civilian transport,” said Devan.

“It’s no ordinary transport, but instead a high-security one used for moving high-value items. It’s just disguised as a normal transport to throw people off. The transport was heading to Grimstone Bank, so who knows what could be on that ship. Jewels. Money. Precious heirlooms. Take your pick,” said Lucretia as she licked her lips, visualizing the potential of what the treasure could be.

“Really? So how do you know all that, ma’am? Did you get a special brief I didn’t know about?” asked Devan.

“What? No. It’s just a hunch,” said Lucretia stumbling a bit as she lost her footing momentarily in the sand.

Devan thought she saw something in Lucretia’s eyes, but she shrugged it off as she continued along the way into the mass barrenness of the desert. She looked out into the distance and saw nothing but sand dune after sand dune. The planet they were on was pretty dull and lifeless, she thought, and she couldn’t wait to get off of it. The sun was extra bright, and the air was dry and arid. Her tongue was parched as she opened her mouth to yawn. Looking on the bright side, Devan was content that at least she was doing another mission with Lucretia again. After a few more steps, Lucretia stumbled again.

“Are you sure you’re all right? You’re acting rather peculiar,” said Devan.

“That wasn’t me. There’s something moving beneath the sand,” said Lucretia as she stopped moving. Before they knew it, a creature rose out of the sand behind Devan, hissing and brandishing its sharpened claws. “Sand Mantis!” said Lucretia as she moved on instinct, pushing Devan out of the way and taking the swipe from the creature. Still reeling from the first hit, she then dropped her weapon after receiving another slash from the mantis.

Devan rolled off to the side then looked up at the thing attacking Lucretia. She took aim with her submachine gun and fired off a burst into the bug’s head. The ten-foot tall creature had a brown, reinforced exoskeleton on its body which made small arms fire nearly ineffective, but its head was still a vulnerable spot. The mantis reeled from the attack then turned its attention towards her. It proceeded to move towards her until she fired another burst into its head, killing it instantly. The mantis fell next to Lucretia on the ground, twitching once or twice after it had died. Devan was about to make her way over to her mentor when another mantis appeared right behind her. Without hesitation, she aimed her gun and unloaded the rest of the magazine into the insect, causing it to churn out green hemolymph all over Lucretia.

“Are you all right, ma’am?” asked Devan while reloading her gun. She quickly retrieved a new magazine from her vest and slid it home in her submachine gun.

“Just dandy,” said Lucretia as she flicked the blood from her hands.

Devan hurried Lucretia’s side to see how she was doing, noticing the wounds that her partner had received during the engagement. “Ma’am, you’re hurt!” she said, her eyes wide with concern as she felt the wounds on her body.

Lucretia wasn’t concerned at all and casually took out her med-kit to treat the injuries. “This is nothing. Remember the nasty one I got on Kascus?” she asked.

“Don’t remind me, ma’am. I nearly had a heart attack while waiting for you in the infirmary. Here, let me do it,” said Devan as she gently took the medical supplies from Lucretia and continued tending to the cuts. She tenderly cleaned her up and patched the gashes closed, using the biofoam to keep the wounds sealed until they could be properly looked at by a professional.

“Thanks, Rook. You did a good job back there, taking out those two mantises,” said Lucretia.

“Don’t mention it,” said Devan as she helped Lucretia to her feet. She then picked up Lucretia’s rifle and gave it back to her with a smile. “All this daydreaming of yours is gonna get you killed.”

Lucretia dusted off her weapon and gave Devan a stern look. “Don’t worry about my daydreaming and just focus on the mission. What has gotten into you? All this extra attention you’ve been giving me is highly inappropriate behavior for a soldier, so quit it,” she said. She tried to remain firm with her, but after noticing a distressed look on Devan’s face, she realized that she was just taking out all her frustration on her. “Look, I’m sorry for yelling at you. I’m just dealing with a lot. Let’s keep moving.”

Devan nodded and continued on their way, wondering about Lucretia’s odd behavior in her mind. She then shook her head, putting the thoughts aside as she trekked along with her.

#

“There’s the camp,” said Lucretia as she peered through her spotter’s scope.

“Got it. Searching for our target,” said Devan while looking through her sniper rifle’s scope, scanning the pirates’ position for their leader. The pirates had set up a makeshift camp around the downed civilian transport, their own ship situated nearby.

Lucretia and Devan were positioned on top of a sand dune overlooking the camp from a distance. They were situated so that the sun was at their backs, making them harder to spot if anyone from the camp below happened to look up in their direction.

“Eyes on the hostages yet?” asked Lucretia.

“Not yet, ma’am,” said Devan.

The two of them scanned back and forth through the camp until Lucretia spotted their target coming out of the downed ship’s hull. “Command, we are at the final firing position and have the target confirmed. Awaiting further orders,” said Lucretia over her com-link.

“Roger that, Lucky. Standby for further orders,” said one of the operators back at mission command.

As they were waiting for the go ahead, Devan adjusted her rifle’s scope to account for the several variables needed for an optimal firing trajectory. “Hey, what would you say is the approximate distance to the target?” she asked, but there was no response. “Lucky? Hey, Lucky?” She looked over and saw Lucretia staring through her scope in a trance like state, following the pirate leader as he walked around the camp. One hand was on her scope while the other was trembling near the sidearm at her waist. In her head, Lucretia was still contemplating the dilemma that had been troubling her all throughout the mission. Devan noticed her unbuckle her sidearm’s holster and asked, “Lucky, you all right?”

Lucretia snapped out of it and moved her hand away from her sidearm. “Yeah, I’m fine. Why do you ask?” she asked, turning her attention away from the scope and towards her partner.

“You were reaching for your sidearm,” said Devan.

“Was I? I’m just anxious to get this guy, that’s all,” said Lucretia, her smile obviously fake.

Devan was too busy looking through her rifle’s scope and didn’t catch on to it. “I hear ya. Now help me with the firing solution. I asked about the distance to the target, but you were off in your own little world again,” she said.

“Oh, sorry about that,” said Lucretia as she refocused and looked back through the scope to start analyzing.

As Devan listened to her spotter and mentor, she adjusted the rifle as needed. “I think that just about does it. All we need to do is wait for the green light,” she said.

“Yeah, now we wait. Keep an eye on the target,” said Lucretia.

Several moments went by as the two snipers waited patiently in the unforgiving heat, their backs burning from the sun’s rays and their stomachs heated from the scorching sand underneath them. Suddenly, Devan heard a hiss coming from behind Lucretia and looked away from her scope. She gasped and reached for her sidearm as a baby desert mantis lurked above her partner.

“Ma’am, don’t move!” said Devan as she aimed her pistol and fired, blowing the mantis’ head off as the rest of its body sunk back into the sand.

Lucretia winced at the sudden gunshot as it echoed through the desert. She then gave Devan a glare before looking through her scope. “You better hope the target didn’t hear that…,” she said as she peered through the scope. The target was obviously spooked and was looking in their direction.

“Shoot! He heard it! Permission to fire!?” asked Devan as she kept the crosshairs of her rifle on the pirate leader’s head. “Wait, what’s he doing now? Is he- calling someone?” Shortly after she said that, she heard a ringing coming from beside her.

Lucretia gulped nervously as she continued to look through the spotter’s scope, the telltale jingle of a ringtone resonating from somewhere on her person. Devan slowly turned her head towards her, and she did the same, meeting her gaze. The two of them remained next to each other for a few moments, none of them making any sudden movements as the phone continued to ring. Lucretia’s brow was covered in sweat drops, her breathing steady as she waited for her partner to make the first move.

As Devan began to raise her sidearm towards her, Lucretia acted fast and threw a handful of sand into her eyes to disorient her. While Devan was caught off guard and rubbing her eyes, Lucretia quickly got to her feet and kicked the gun out of her hand, drawing her own and aiming it at her partner.

After Devan recovered, she looked up to her partner while still sitting on the sand in disbelief. “Just what in the hell are you doing!?” she asked.

“I’m sorry it had to end this way. I’m just doing what my heart tells me…,” said Lucretia as she remained firm, keeping her gun aimed straight at Devan.

The last thing she Devan saw was the silhouetted image of Lucretia and the business end of her sidearm a few inches from her face. Lucretia stood for a moment, silent and unyielding, staring cold-heartedly into her friend’s eyes.

Devan started to tear up, confused and frightened at the sudden turn of events. “Please…,” she said, her words somewhat distorted from her sobs.

“Sorry, Devan,” said Lucretia.

Once Lucretia saw Devan’s lips part to speak her name, she pulled the trigger on her .45 caliber handgun, firing a projectile right into her forehead. The shot rang through the surrounding desert as she kept her hand raised, taking in what she had just done. She then holstered her weapon as she stood over Devan’s lifeless body. She had an emotionless expression as she watched the blood from the headwound start to seep into ground, mixing with the gritty sand. She pushed her partner’s body out of the way with her foot and watched it tumble down the side of the dune.

After Devan’s body came to halt on the face of the mound, Lucretia laid back down on the coarse sand and took hold of the sniper rifle, looking through the weapon’s scope. She spotted the pirate leader looking into the distance, still holding the phone to his ear. She reached into her vest with a devious grin and answered the call, placing the phone to her head without diverting her gaze away from the pirate leader.

“Yeah?” asked Lucretia

“Is it all clear, Baby?”

“Yes, Love.”

“You sure?”

“Don’t worry; you’ll be fine. I’ve got your back.”

After making contact with Rayff, Lucretia stood up, picking up her rifle and slinging it over her shoulder as she rose to her feet. She looked into the sky and raised her right hand, extending her middle finger in defiance. The satellite hovering overhead in orbit saw her gesture and the officers watching were not amused.

“What in the world is she doing!? Why can’t you get in contact with her!?” asked one of the officers taking in-charge of the operation.

“She’s deactivated her com-link, sir. She’s gone dark,” said an operator in the room.

The officer was gripping the table firmly as he watched Lucretia on the monitor. “She’s gone over the line. I want a kill order put out for Maj. Lucretia Ren on the double! She’s not going to get away with this,” he said, his teeth nearly gritted shut.

Lucretia looked toward the camp and made her way down to it, sliding down the side of the dune. Before continuing towards the camp, she walked over to Devan’s body to check for extra supplies. “I’m sorry, but it’s nothing personal. It was either you or my love, Rayff. And I chose him,” she said, taking one last look at her deceased partner before walking off. As she approached the pirate encampment, a couple sentries raised their weapons at her as she got nearer.

“Hold it. Let me see your hands!” said one of the sentries.

“Put your guns down. I’m on your side, idiots,” said Lucretia as she took off her helmet, attaching it to her utility belt.

“Lucretia? I didn’t recognize you in your uniform. Sorry ‘bout that,” said one of the pirate sentries.

Lucretia casually passed them by as they lowered their rifles. She headed into camp in search of Rayff, the pirate leader and also her boyfriend. The pirates were almost done cutting through the safes in the civilian transport ship, so most of them were hustling about, making preparations to load the loot and escape.

Rayff spotted Lucretia and made his way over to her. “Hey, Baby. How are things on your end?” he asked.

“I’ve already dealt with the other Rose. And as for the backup sniper team, they won’t get here in time. Trust me,” said Lucretia.

“What about our exit plan?” asked Rayff.

“Shouldn’t be a problem, so long as we have the hostage; they won’t make a move. The nighttime sniper incursion was their only solution. Now that the mission was botched, they’re out of alternatives,” said Lucretia.

“Good. Very good. Everything is going according to plan. This is our biggest heist yet, so we can’t afford any loose ends. Since you’ve done your part, you can relax in the ship while we loot the ship,” said Rayff before giving Lucretia a kiss. He then left to supervise his crew during the last stage of the heist.

Lucretia watched in admiration as Rayff headed into the downed civilian transport, her heart a flutter from being in his presence again. Feeling the sweat accumulating on her forehead, she decided to head into the pirate ship to take a shower and unwind. She didn’t have too much trouble finding her room, since she was already somewhat familiar with the ship. Upon entering the room she shared with Rayff, she vividly began to remember every aspect of it, despite only being in it once before. She leaned hers and Devan’s submachine guns as well as Devan’s sniper rifle against the wardrobe before heading into the bathroom to get cleaned up. She took off her utility belt with the helmet still attached and dropped it to the floor, followed by her gloves and tactical vest. After loosening her hair, she stared blankly into the mirror.

“What is wrong with me? I did what I had to do, didn’t I? It was her or him. Damn the military for forcing me into this position,” said Lucretia.

Lucretia continued to disrobe and took a long, hot shower to get her head straight. After she was cleaned up and dressed in new clothes, she headed outside to check on Rayff’s progress. The pirates had broken through the safes, nearly completely the transfer of all the treasure over to their ship. She started to grow wide-eyed as she watched cart after cart filled with precious valuables being loaded into the cargo bay. She found Rayff inside the civilian transport filling the last cart.

“Almost done?” asked Lucretia after entering the ship’s vault.

Rayff emptied the last tray of jewels into the cart and smiled with satisfaction. “Just about,” he said.

“And I hope you haven’t forgotten my share of the cut, right, Hon?” said Lucretia.

“Don’t worry, Babe. You’ll get yours. We couldn’t have gotten this far without you,” said Rayff.

“That’s right, and don’t forget it,” said Lucretia with a playful smile.

“Of course, Darling. Now head outside and make sure everyone’s loaded everything into the ship. We’re getting outta here once we load this last cart,” said Rayff.

Lucretia nodded and did as she was told. Once Rayff had loaded the last cart, he headed towards the bridge of his pirate ship for the final launch preparations.

“So, Lucretia, is there anything I should know about the military’s plan of action before we lift off?” asked Rayff.

“Not really. Like I said before, they won’t make any hostile actions while we have hostages. They’re watching this site from orbit via satellite, so they know we have hostages onboard. By the way, do you have the decoy drones I told you to get?” asked Lucretia.

“They were a bit pricey, but I got ‘em. Are they really necessary?” asked Rayff.

“Believe me, they’re quite necessary. Don’t worry. With this take, you should be able to get your money back and then some,” said Lucretia.

“You think there are ships in orbit?” asked Rayff.

“I don’t think there are any ships near us, but you never know what’s lurking out there. So if there is something out there, they’ll be on your ass once you jump if you don’t have the decoys. Let’s just hope they don’t get lucky and choose the right signature,” said Lucretia.

When everything was ready, Rayff gave the order and told his pilot to lift off. Once in orbit, the ship deployed several drones which flew away in random directions; they were meant to throw off any tailing military vessels that might be tracking them. Once the ship was a considerable distance away from the planet, they jumped into hyperspace toward an outer colony to enjoy their spoils.


	2. Regret

It had been a month since Lucretia defected and things were already starting to fall apart. She was covering her bare body with the bed sheets as she sat on the bed. “You’re freakin’ unbelievable!” said Lucretia, grabbing the nearest object at hand, which happened to be a remote control, and hurling it at Rayff.

“Hey, give me a break, Babe. I’ve given you some of your take already,” said Rayff as he was putting on his shirt with his back against the door, ready to leave if Lucretia got any more hostile.

“I want my _entire_ cut you prick!” said Lucretia while picking up another object and throwing it at him.

Rayff dodged it and opened the bedroom door, hiding behind it for protection. “Now I’m going to leave now, so while you’re still in here, I want you to cool off, okay? I’ll check in on you later,” he said before shutting the door and locking it from the outside.

Lucretia was furious with Rayff and got out of bed to confront him, taking the sheets with her to cover her body. She tried opening the door, but to her dismay, it was indeed locked. She was about to head back to the bed when she heard voices in the hallway. There was an open air vent on top of the door, so Lucretia found a chair to stand up on to get a better vantage point.

“Having trouble with Lucretia there?” asked Fau, one of Rayff’s pirate crew.

“She’s just being stubborn. She wants her _entire_ cut,” said Rayff.

“Then why not give it to her? We all got out share already,” said Fau.

Rayff scoffed at the suggestion then said, “Do you know how much she wants? She wants twenty-five percent of the entire cut. The _entire_ cut! Do you know how much that is? Much more than she deserves.”

“But her role was important to the heist’s success. I mean, she killed her partner for you. She loves you, Dude,” said Fau.

“So?” said Rayff.

“So, don’t you love her as well?” asked Fau.

Rayff raised an eyebrow. “Pssh… love her? I love her as much as I love getting stabbed in the gut then choked to death,” he said.

“Man, that’s harsh, Dude,” said Fau.

“Yeah well, she has a hot bod and all since she’s the soldier type, and she’s good in bed, but she’s just an asset- an asset I used to get the job done,” said Rayff.

“Well if you don’t want her, can I have her?” asked Fau.

Rayff scowled and slapped him upside the head. “She’s still mine, idiot. I never said that I didn’t want her. C’mon, let’s get something to eat. All this stress is making me hungry,” he said. He and Fau then left the living quarters and headed to the mess hall for some breakfast.

On the other side of the door, Lucretia was heated with rage and fury. She moved away from the door and meandered back onto the bed, wrapping the sheets around her as she sat, thinking. _‘Used me. He used me! That rat fuck, meat head dared to lie to my face! Well… I’ll just wait her, and when he opens that door, we’ll see how much he really likes getting choked and stabbed to death.’_ She raised her chin and started laughing maniacally, eagerly awaiting her revenge.

After a few hours, Rayff decided to head back to the bedroom to check on Lucretia. “Okay, Lucretia, cry baby time over. Let’s go and get some food,” he said.

Little did Rayff know, Lucretia was hiding behind the door, waiting for him. When he stepped inside, she punched him square in the jaw, knocking him out. She quickly dragged him into the room and shut the door before anyone noticed.

When Rayff regained consciousness around fifteen minutes later, he found himself gagged and tied to a bed with his wrists and ankles tied to each of the bed’s four corners. The only light illuminating the room came from a small lamp on the desk, casting a shadow on a figure who was sitting there with their back to him. He started to panic and tried to break free, but the noise caused by his struggling alerted the person sitting at the desk.

The figure stood up and walked over to Rayff. “So… you’re awake?” she said.

Rayff stopped struggling to see who his captor was, surprised to see Lucretia before him. He tried to talk, but the gag in his mouth muffled his words.

“Don’t bother trying to speak. No one will hear you,” said Lucretia as she waved her newly sharpened combat knife around. She moved on the bed and straddled his waist, brandishing her the blade in front of his face.

“Now, I bet you’re wondering why you’re in the predicament you’re in, right?” asked Lucretia, but Rayff remained silent. Annoyed at the lack of a response, she smacked him across the face. “Well?”

Having been provoked by, Rayff angrily responded but his words were muffled.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” said Lucretia. She then leaned towards his face, caressing his head in her hand. “Allow me to refresh your memory then. Does _‘she’s just an asset’_ ring bell?” Immediately, Rayff’s eyes widened as fear gripped him. “Oh, so now you remember. What about _‘much more than she deserves’_ , remember that? I know, how ‘bout _‘I love her as much as I love getting choked and stabbed to death’_?” She slowly cut his shirt open with her knife, starting t the bottom and moving upwards. Rayff’s pulse began to increase, his heart beating furiously and his breathing became erratic as her knife reached just below his chin.

Sneering at Rayff, Lucretia grabbed his throat with her left hand and readied her knife over his chest with her right. “How dare you use me. How dare you make me kill my friend in the name of _love_. You will pay for your… HUBRIS!” she said before raising her knife and plunging it straight down into his flesh. She started at his heart and sliced downwards, simultaneously tightening her grip on his throat to stifle the sounds of struggling. Rayff’s eyes were wide open with horror as he watched the blade cut down his torso. A large grin was growing on Lucretia’s face as she continued to force the knife further. After a few tense moments of pure agony, Rayff breathed his last breath, his head tilting to the side with eyes still wide open.

Lucretia loosened her grip on Rayff’s throat and rubbed her hand from grasping the knife so hard. After regaining her composure, she withdrew her knife from his body and wiped it clean on his tattered shirt. She sheathed her weapon and got off the bed, looking one last time at Rayff’s corpse with a look of disgust.

 _‘Now for the rest of the crew.’_ Lucretia walked over to the wardrobe and got ready in her Crimzon Rose combat uniform. She thought it was the best suited attire to fight in since she was already accustomed to it. Once she was dressed, she retrieved her suppressed submachine gun, the same one she used when she was still in the military. Since she had killed the pirates’ leader, there was no turning back. She checked her gear and loaded her weapons before approaching the bedroom door.

Taking a deep breath, Lucretia opened the door and stepped through. It was late in the evening and most of the crew were already asleep. She decided to start off with the rooms near hers and Rayff’s. They were personal rooms with only one occupant, so it made killing the occupants easier to deal with. As she entered each room, she decided that simplicity was best and didn’t try anything fancy. She just slit everyone’s throat with a single deep slice using her combat knife. Since she knew the exact number of pirates in Rayff’s crew, she simply subtracted those she’d already killed from the total to see how many were left. Five. That was how many were left after she was through with the living quarters. She figured that the majority of those remaining were in the lounge/commons area, so she cautiously headed there, checking all the miscellaneous rooms on the way for any stragglers.

As Lucretia came to her destination, she waited behind a wall and peeked around the corner to see how many targets there were. Three enemies confirmed, which wasn’t everyone but most of them. She readied her gun and planned her shots to catch them all completely off guard. She raised her rifle and turned the corner. Three shots, three thuds. Lucretia scanned the area with her submachine gun raised and advanced, taking slow, cautious steps. _‘All clear.’_ Two remained.

Lucretia had a feeling the remaining two were in the cockpit area, so that was her next stop. She traversed trough the rest of the ship and was almost to the cockpit. As she walked down the corridor towards the pilot’s cabin, a pirate ambushed her before she got there. He forcefully knocked her gun away and maneuvered behind her, wrapping one of his arms around her neck.

 _‘I must be getting rusty. I should’ve seen that one coming,’_ thought Lucretia as her assailant tightened his grip. She managed to get an arm free and elbowed the man in the stomach, causing him to reel backwards as he clutched his gut in pain. Lucretia moved away from him and drew her sidearm from her tac-vest, planting a single round in his head. As she was about to holster her weapon, the door to the cockpit opened.

“What’s all the commotion?” asked the pilot while exiting the cockpit with a pistol in hand.

Lucretia acted without hesitation and aimed her sidearm, shooting the man twice in the chest. She didn’t want to go for a headshot and risk missing. Hitting anywhere in the cockpit behind him would’ve been disastrous. Unfortunately, shooting him in the chest gave the guy an extra few moments of life. In his last dying moments, he randomly shot off a round which grazed Lucretia’s right thigh. She cursed to herself as she leaned against the wall to take the pressure off her injured leg. Zero remained. She sighed and limped back to the commons area. She plopped down onto a random chair and just sat, unsure of what to do.

Sitting there, Lucretia’s thoughts began to wander, diving into a dark place. She killed her partner and became wanted for treason. She killed her only love and his entire pirate crew. She had no friends and nowhere to go. Her parents certainly wouldn’t take her in and her younger sister, Carolyn- not a chance. She began to feel hopeless, having nothing else to live for. She exhaled sadly, taking her sidearm in hand and pressing it against her head. She closed her eyes and began to tremble, her thoughts spiraling out of control. She couldn’t think of any other alternatives, but there had to be something. Anything.

Lucretia started to squeeze the trigger, but then she heard a voice in her head, a familiar voice- a memory. She was remembering a moment from a few months ago, just before Devan transferred to her training assignment.

#

Devan fired another shot down range, hitting the target dead on. “Looks like the rifle is finally zeroed in,” she said before loading another magazine into the rifle and taking aim. She and Lucretia were outside at a long-distance firing range, practicing sniping at extremely long range.

Before Devan was about to continue firing, Lucretia spoke. “Rook, why did you join the military?” she asked.

Devan was caught off guard by the sudden question, unsure of how to respond. “Um, it’s a long story, ma’am,” she said.

“I’ve got time, sergeant,” said Lucretia.

“I’m sorry for asking, but why do you want know, ma’am?” asked Devan.

“I just want to get to know my partner better,” said Lucretia.

Devan diverted her focus away from her rifle’s scope and looked towards Lucretia. “Well, it all began during my childhood,” she said.

“That far back?” asked Lucretia.

“Yeah. Well, I was involved with the military all my life since I was a Prodigy, but the turning point that really drove me to continue my career mostly began with my parents,” said Devan. “My mom was an army infantry officer serving with the expeditionary forces. My dad was a deadbeat, alcoholic construction worker, but he sobered up when my mom forced him to go to rehab. He had been clean ever since. When my mom died in combat, my dad started drinking heavily again. So as you can imagine, I went through some tough times with him being constantly drunk all the time.”

“He only stopped drinking because of your mom?” asked Lucretia.

“Pretty much, but when she died, he had no reason to continue being clean. I guess I wasn’t a good enough reason. Anyway, I was doing okay in school, and I was allowed to remain in the Prodigy program on economic assistance since my mom died. Unfortunately, school slowly became my home away from home. After the school day, I always hated going home. I always got bossed around, beat, and abused. If I said anything, I would get beat harder. So I didn’t say anything. I was growing fed up with my life at home with dad. Then one day during the end of senior year, some army recruiters came by to get some of the students interested in joining the Scarlet Berets after graduating. I was intrigued by their displays and wanted to see what they had to offer, but then I remembered the argument I had with my dad the night before,” said Devan.”

“About what, if you can remember?” asked Lucretia.

“What I’d be doing after I graduated. He didn’t want me to enlist, but instead find a job close to home so I could support his alcoholism. The only reason he let me stay in the Prodigy program was because we were getting financial aid. Whatever was leftover, he used it to buy his alcohol. So when I graduated, no more financial aid would be coming in and thus no more alcohol money. I dreaded what my life would be if it came to that, and so I made a decision. I was going to enlist and cut my ties once and for all from him once I graduated. So, I went over to the Scarlet Berets and learned all I could. For the last remaining days, I coped with my life at home, and then on the day of my graduation, I gathered all the money I could and the few possessions I wanted to keep. Once the graduation party was over, I went to the enlistment office. I snuck away after the ceremony and caught a transport away from the city,” said Devan.

“And then the rest is history, right?” said Lucretia.

“Yeah. I enlisted, trained with the Scarlet Berets, and then ended up here with the Crimzon Roses. And I haven’t contacted my dad ever since,” said Devan.

“Do you regret any of it?” asked Lucretia.

Devan smiled, something Lucretia didn’t expect her to do. “Not one bit. The decision to enlist was probably the best decision I had ever done in my life. It finally allowed me to lead a new life,” she said.

“…a new life?” asked Lucretia.

“Yes. Leaving home allowed me to make my own decisions and not worry about anything other than myself. No more drunk dad and no more problems at home. Just me and my new life.”

#

Lucretia paused, repeating three words in her head as she withdrew her finger from the trigger. _‘A new life. A new life? A new life! Yes! Why didn’t I think of this before? I can finally start living now! No longer do I have to uphold my loyalty to my parents, the military, or deadbeat boyfriend, but to myself, and only myself! But Devan…’_

After realizing she still had a gun to her head, Lucretia threw it across the room and began to sob loudly. _‘But Devan… she wasn’t supposed to be there. She wasn’t supposed to be there! If I was paired with some random Crimzon, this would’ve gone a lot smoother, or at least, the betrayal would’ve been easier.’_ She buried her face in her hands as she cried. _‘But I had to choose. I was a fool, blinded by love and choosing goddamn Rayff over my one and true friend, Devan. She was one of the only people that truly understood me, and now she’s dead, killed by my hand. Oh, Devan, I should have told you. You would’ve understood me.’_

Lucretia sat silently for a few moments before getting up. She limped over to the refrigerator in the kitchen and grabbed a can of soda, leaning against the counter after closing the fridge. _‘I’m sorry, Devan.’_ She popped open the can, letting the escaping gas hiss at her before saying, “To you…” She poured the first bit on the floor then took a long, refreshing gulp before sighing with relief.

As Lucretia placed her drink on the counter, she bumped into something on the ground with her foot. Looking down, she saw her sidearm and bent down to retrieve it. “Fuckin’-A,” she said, a sharp pain running up her leg as she picked it up. Remembering her wound from before, she holstered the gun and pulled out her med-kit to address it. She applied a healing ointment to the injury and wrapped it in a bandage.

 _‘So now what? I already stopped myself from blowing my brains out, so what’s next?’_ Lucretia walked around the room and surveyed the carnage of dead bodies she left behind, also seeing poker chips scattered around the floor. _‘Must’ve been playing poker when I dropped in.’_ She walked over to the table and picked up one of the chips. As she held the piece of plastic in her hand, something clicked in her brain, and she smiled deviously to herself. She placed it back on the table and spun it around.

“What’s next you ask?” said Lucretia to herself as she watched the poker chip spin on the table until it stopped, resting on a pile of money in the center. _‘If I’m going to start living for myself, I’m going to need some money, lots of money.’_

Lucretia left the table and headed back to her bedroom. Entering the room, she walked straight to her bed which still had Rayff’s bloodied corpse on it. Completely unperturbed by the grisly scene, she started rummaging through the clothes on his person. _‘Where is it? I know he has it. Ah, here it is.’_ She fully opened his shirt and spotted a necklace around his neck with a key on it. She grabbed the necklace and tore it from around his neck, taking the key and leaving the room.

Walking through the corridors, the speed of her steps began to increase as she went along. In just mere moments, she was nearly jogging through the hallways with an eager smile on her face. She came to a halt outside a large, steel door and readied the key.

“This is it, the motherload,” said Lucretia.

After fitting the key home and turning it to the right, the door unlocked. Lucretia then opened the vault which left her standing in awe. All of the loot gathered from raids and heists was kept there until it was distributed amongst the crew. Inside the room were racks filled with crates, each containing items ranging from gemstones and jewelry, to large bundles of hundred-dollar bills. She walked through the aisles, eyeing and touching all of the valuable items within.

 _‘Most of the loot from the Grimstone Heist is still here. I’m guessing… half, maybe? Looks like there’s some leftovers from previous jobs here as well. This is definitely going to last me a while.’_ Lucretia turned her attention away from the treasure and stood still for a moment, deep in thought about how she was going to continue. _‘So now what? I’ve got a ship full of loot and dead pirates. Do I pilot the ship back to a port in an outer-rim colony and hope no one ask any questions? No. That’s too simple. I can do better than that. Hmm… maybe…’_ She then exited the room and headed to the ship’s cargo bay and hanger.

 _‘Now we’re getting somewhere.’_ In the hanger, there was a smaller ship, a transport the pirates used for traveling between the ship in orbit and the planet’s surface. It was a moderately sized ship with plenty of cargo space, and after she made a few adjustments, there was going to be even more room. She opened the outer hatch and inspected the ship. _‘Yeah, this will do perfectly.’_

Once Lucretia was done clearing out the transport of everything that wasn’t necessary, she started loading all of the valuables onto the ship. Starting with the vault, she loaded crate after crate onboard, each filled with money and other valuables. She then went back to her room and gathered up all her belongings. She packed her clothes and personal items into duffel bags, making sure it was tightly packed to make use of every bit of space. As she was going through her things, the ship suddenly shuddered, making her lose her balance.

“What the fuck was that?” said Lucretia aloud to herself.

Lucretia quickly dropped her bag and headed into the hallway, but another quake forced her to brace herself against the wall. After regaining her balance, she sprinted for the cockpit to see what was happening before the next shock occurred. Taking a seat in one of the two in the cockpit, she looked out to see what the problem was.

“Great… a debris field,” said Lucretia.

Lucretia hastily looked around the cockpit’s consoles and panels, scanning over the numerous buttons and switches. She started pressing random buttons with hopes that it would help somehow. “Fuck! I’m a foot soldier, not a pilot,” she said before looking out the window. She then saw a large piece of space rock out in front of the ship. “Um! Uh! I guess I have to go in manually.” She grabbed the flight controls and throttle and tried to turn, but neither budged. She pulled on them harder, but still nothing happened. Panicking, she jerked on them harder and harder. “Why won’t you move!?” She let go of the controls and slumped back in the seat. “Fuck…”

Lucretia closed her eyes and gripped the armrests of the chair. “So this is the end, is it? Man… karma’s a bitch,” she said, but after a few tense moments, the ship started to tilt. Expecting to have collided with the asteroid already, Lucretia opened an eye to see what was happening. Just as she did, she saw the large mass pass just out of sight of the cockpit’s window. She opened both eyes and peered out into space. The ship was moving on its own, evading the asteroids with ease. She looked around the cabin and saw that the autopilot had been engaged. _‘Whoa… I must’ve triggered it when I randomly started pushing buttons. No wonder they call me Lucky. Damn, I need to get off this ship ASAP.’_

Sighing with relief, Lucretia got up and left the cockpit. As she walked out, she noticed her submachine gun from earlier that she had dropped. She knelt down to retrieve it, and as she moved closer to the ground, a glimmer from the dead body lying next to the gun caught her eye. Looking over, she reached for the man’s wrist and admired the golden watch fastened securely around it. “Hmm… that’s a nice watch you got there,” she said, removing the watch from his wrist and pocketing it. She paused before standing back up and looking the body over.

“What else do you have, hmm?” said Lucretia to herself. After scrounging through the pockets, she acquired a pistol, a knife, two pistol magazines, and fifty-seven dollars from his wallet along with a few IDs and bank cards. Putting all of the dead man’s possessions on her person, she looked over at another dead body nearby. _‘I think I’m on to something here. I’m pretty sure all those pirate scum have loads of cash on their person, not to mention all the stuff in their rooms and trunks. And there’s plenty of stuff throughout the ship worth a pretty penny. I’ve got time, and there’s still plenty of room in the transport for all this stuff. Yup, looks like I can’t leave just yet.’_

Lucretia scooted over and started looting the second body in the hallway. After that, she continued to loot the rest of the ship, taking only items of value. Her focus was on things like guns, ammunition, electronics, appliances, tools, clothing, jewelry, etc. She scrounged through every nook and cranny of the pirates’ rooms and personal quarters for anything she could sell. She was very thorough with her work. Being a greedy and materialistic person, she checked every drawer, opened every box, and sifted through every container. She even raided the kitchen area of its coffee maker and microwave.

On her way back to the cargo bay with the last few boxes, Lucretia heard voices in the distance. Putting the boxes down, she drew her sidearm from her tac-vest and listened for the voices again. _‘I’m pretty sure I heard voices, but I’m also pretty sure all the pirates are dead.’_ She took a few steps with her pistol raised and heard the voices again. This time, they were louder and clearer. She proceeded towards the source of the voices and came to an iron door, pressing her ear against it. The voices started up again and she was sure whoever the voices belonged to was behind that door. She raised her pistol and prepared to storm into the room. Turning the knob slowly, she kicked open the door and proceeded in, her gun poised to fire.

There were shrieks of fright as the people inside turned to see Lucretia barge in, fully clothed in combat gear and with a weapon drawn. Seeing the unarmed civilians behind metal bars, Lucretia lowered her gun. _‘Hmm… they must’ve taken hostages again during the last raid.’_

One of the prisoners, a young woman dressed in a civilian pilot’s uniform, approached the wall made from steel bars. “You’re a soldier. Are you here to rescue us?” she asked.

Lucretia was surprised by the question. _‘Rescue? Oh yeah, I’m still in my uniform. They must think I’m here to help them. What should I do? Kill them? No. I’m not a cold-hearted killer that kills for no reason. I’ll leave ‘em here till I figure out what to do with them.’_ She walked into the room and approached the captives. “It’s still not safe out there yet. Wait here till I come back,” she said. The pilot was about to say something, but Lucretia left before she could finish. _‘Now what? I’ve got civilians I have to deal with now. Great. Let’s just finish loading everything and then I’ll deal with them.’_

Lucretia finished packing the ship then went back to the commons area for a bite to eat before leaving. _‘I’m surprised I’m still on this ship. But what do I do when I leave? Huh, haven’t thought that far yet. Hmm… well, the outer colonies are the obvious place to go since I’m still an outlaw. Fuck. That’s right. I’m still an outlaw. Wherever I go, they’ll be after me. I should’ve taken Rayff’s advice and faked my death when I still had the chance.’_ She paused then had another brilliant idea. _‘Actually, it’s still not too late to fake my death. I can overload the ship’s engines and make my escape in the transport ship. And as for witnesses, those civilians just made themselves useful.’_

Lucretia got up and began making preparations for her escape. Once everything was in place, she went back for the hostages. She psyched herself up and played her part as she entered the brig. “It’s all clear, but you all need to hurry,” she said as she approached the prisoners in a panicked manner.

“Why? What’s going on?” asked one of the prisoners.

“The pirates overloaded the ship’s engines before I could get to them. It can blow any minute. Stand back!” said Lucretia before pulling out her sidearm and shooting at the lock on the prison door. Once the lock was off, she pried open the prison door and led the prisoners out of their cell. “Stay close and keep up! There’s not much time left.”

“Where are you taking us!?” asked the female pilot.

“An escape pod. The ship has an escape pod for you to use. I’ve already stocked it with food and supplies to keep you alive until rescue finds you,” said Lucretia.

“An escape pod? What about your ship, the one you used to board with?” asked one of the other prisoners.

“I didn’t come by ship. I snuck on the last time they made port,” said Lucretia. The group arrived at the escape pod and Lucretia started loading them in.

“C’mon. Get on! It’s going to blow soon!” said the female pilot to Lucretia who was the last to board.

“No can do. Someone needs to stay behind to activate the launch sequence,” said Lucretia with a faint smile. _‘Damn, this hero stuff is really starting to get on my nerves.’_

“Is there no way to start the launch remotely?” asked one of the prisoners.

“I’m afraid not. As a soldier, it’s my duty to protect the people,” said Lucretia. She then handed the female pilot her combat helmet and military ID. “My name is Major Lucretia Ren. Please tell them what happened here.” Before the pilot could say another word, Lucretia pushed her into the escape pod and shut the hatch. With one last smile, she hit a button which launched the pod into space.

Once the pod was gone, Lucretia let out a heavy sigh and headed to the hanger bay to leave the ship as well. _‘Urgh, that was so annoying. Being the good guy really sucks. How in the world can they do all that sincerely and freely? Whatever, I’m outta here.’_ She boarded the ship and piloted out of the hanger bay.

“This should be far enough,” said Lucretia as she reached into her pocket. She took out a remote detonator linked to the explosives on the ship’s engines. “Kaboom…” Once she pushed the button, the entire ship behind her erupted in flames as it tore apart into millions of pieces. She activated her ship’s hyperdrive and headed towards the outer-rim colonies before anyone arrived at the scene.


	3. A New Life

“Well… I’m glad that’s over with,” said Lucretia as she reclined in the pilot’s seat, letting out a sigh of relief as the engines cooled down after coming out of hyperdrive. In the distance, but still visible through the cockpit’s window, was the outer-rim planet Neonia, an independent planet once under the control of the VCG. Lucretia chose that particular planet because she was most familiar with it and had contacts and assets already in place there. It was also a prime choice because it was notorious for being a planet of vice, so she thought she’d have a better chance of not being caught or noticed by the authorities. Her first order of business was to get a new identity, since she was a wanted criminal by the Cornerian government. Even though there was a good chance that she’d be reported as dead by the prisoners she saved, she still wanted to make sure no one would be sticking their nose in her business.

Once the ship was ready, Lucretia programmed the autopilot to take the ship to one of the cities on the planet’s surface. During the ride, she changed out of her Crimzon Rose uniform and into street clothes. She wrapped a bandanna around the bottom half of her face and wore a black baseball cap to cover her hair. When she made her way back to the cockpit, the ship was already landing at an empty spot in a public landing pad. She checked her pistol and holstered it before heading to the ship’s outer hatch.

After the ship touched down, Lucretia stepped onto the landing pad and walked toward the payment console, checking her surroundings to make sure no scoundrels were around to jump her. The console was located next to the walkway leading toward the terminal building adjacent to the landing pad. Approaching the machine, she took out her wallet and used cash to pay for parking. She couldn’t use her debit card since it was tied to her old identity, which could give her away as being still alive.

When the transaction was complete, three mechanical arms that were attached to the flight pad secured restraints to the ship’s landing gears. The restraints were connected to the landing pad which prevented the ship from being stolen or piloted without the owner’s code to remove the restraints. Once her ship and its contents were secure, Lucretia headed inside the terminal to catch a ride to a nearby shopping mall. She needed to change her appearance, and once she figured out where she needed to go, she boarded one of the metro transports heading into the city. She continued to scan her surroundings for anything suspicious. She didn’t make it look obvious, only using passing glances and reflections in the windows to look people over. Everybody in the metro car didn’t look any more sketchy than normal on an outer-rim world.

Upon arriving at the shopping center’s platform, Lucretia disembarked and looked for a map of the mall. The interior of the large structure had a worn and aged aesthetic to it. To her, it seemed that maintenance and upkeep hadn’t taken place in quite some time.

Checking a map located on a round display in the middle of the entrance, Lucretia looked for the appropriate vendors to get her appearance changed. _‘Okay, what’s first?’_ She looked down the list of stores and noticed one close by named Cosma’s Cosmetics. _‘Well, it’s worth a shot.’_ She navigated through the mall and arrived at the shop. She noticed that it was one of the cleaner stores in the mall, so that was a good sign. She stepped inside to see what the store had to offer.

The shop owner noticed Lucretia at the front counter and walked over to help her. “Welcome. What can I do for you?” she asked.

Lucretia looked away from the board and towards the shop owner. “I’m looking to get my hair color changed as well as my eye color. Can you do that?” she asked.

“Sure. It will be a bit pricey though,” said the shop owner.

“Price is of no concern. But are you any good? I better get my money’s worth,” said Lucretia.

The shop owner scoffed at Lucretia’s doubt. “Any good? I service many people a week. You won’t find a better cosmetic boutique in all of Bower City. I think I can handle a simple hair and eye color change,” she said.

“Good,” said Lucretia.

“If you’re ready, I can take you now if you want?” said the shop owner.

“Sure,” said Lucretia.

“The name’s Cosma by the way,” she said, outstretching her hand to shake Lucretia’s.

Lucretia was about to respond with her real name but caught herself. She quickly thought of another name to use off the top of her head. “Devan. My name’s Devan,” she said, returning Cosma’s handshake firmly.

“Nice to meet you. Please, follow me,” said Cosma as she directed Lucretia back into the boutique. “So, what colors were you thinking of for your hair and eyes?” she said, handing Lucretia a card that had all the available colors to choose from.

Lucretia took the card and looked it over before taking a seat in the barber’s chair that Cosma led her to. “Black for my hair. And for my eyes? How ‘bout red. Red will work,” she said.

“Black? How about a nice blue? Or a deep pink for some contrast?” said Cosma.

Lucretia gave Cosma a straight-forward look and said, “Black.”

“Okay, the customer knows best,” said Cosma. She had Lucretia remove her cap and bandana then went about carrying out the appearance changes. The dying of her hair was the easiest part, even if it was a deep root color change. It allowed her hair to remain the current color even if it grew much longer. The fabrication of her contacts was the difficult part for Cosma. Getting the right shade of red and the contact size for Lucretia’s eyes took an hour or so. Lucretia also took a while getting accustomed to putting them in and taking them out, which added to the length of the procedures. She wasn’t used to contacts since she didn’t use them, but she got the hang of it eventually. When they were done, they went back to the front counter to deal with the bill.

“Okay, dear, that will be one-hundred and fifty credits,” said Cosma.

Lucretia nodded and opened up her wallet.

“Wow, that’s a lot of bills there,” said Cosma while peeking into Lucretia’s wallet. “Where’d you get all that?”

“It’s best if you don’t know,” said Lucretia as she handed over the money to pay for her visit.

“Kay. Kay. A gal’s gotta do whatever it takes to get paid. I understand,” said Cosma.

Lucretia put away her wallet, giving Cosma a puzzled look. After paying Cosma for her services, she made her way out of the boutique. _‘That was… incredibly easy. I thought that this would be the hard part. All right, time to get my I.D.’_ She put on her cap and bandana, just to remain incognito until she received her new identification documents. She went back to the public transport platform to catch a ride to another part of the city. She knew of a person that forged official documents. She and Rayff visited him on several occasions to obtain fake ID cardss for heists and other jobs.

The ride took her to the “bad” part of the city, but luckily for her, she was already familiar with the surrounding area. She walked down the city’s dirty sidewalks, which were riddled with cigarette butts and other refuse, and entered the small shop where the forger was. The shop was a façade to mask the whole forgery business. The bell attached to the door rung as Lucretia opened the door. The shop owner, an old dog by the name of Joe, looked up from his magazine to greet the customer.

“What do you want?” asked Joe.

Lucretia walked towards the front counter and confronted the shop owner. “I need some fake papers and a new ID card,’ she said.

Joe gave Lucretia an impassive glance. “What are you talking about, woman? I sell antiques, so what you see is what I got,” he said.

“What’s the matter? Don’t recognize me?” asked Lucretia as she removed her cap and bandana from her face.

Joe looked Lucretia over but nothing registered in his head. “Listen, if you’re not going to buy anything, get the hell out,” he said.

Lucretia frowned and took out one of her old ID cards. “It’s me, you old geezer. Lucretia. Rayff’s gal,” she said, cringing at the very mention of being Rayff’s “gal” to jog the old man’s memory.

Joe looked closer and started to recognize Lucretia. “Lucretia, huh? I didn’t recognize you with your new hair and eye color,” he said.

“Well, I was going for a new look. Anyway, I need some documents made for my new identity,” said Lucretia.

“New identity? You and Rayff doing another job? Surprised he’s not here to get the documents himself,” said Joe.

Lucretia instantly remembered the grisly scene of Rayff’s bloodied corpse lying in their bedroom. “It’s a secret, but trust me. It’s worth it,” she said.

“Why don’t you come on back and we’ll get your documents written up,” said Joe as he led around the counter and into the backroom. “So what kind of documents will you be needing?”

“Everything. I need as many documents as you can give me,” said Lucretia.

“Oh? The Works, huh. Well, you know the drill. Let me get you a form to fill out with your identity’s information, just so all the documents are consistent,” said Joe. He shuffled through some papers on his desk and found the empty questionnaires. He handed one of them to Lucretia along with a pen. “I’ll prep the documents and get my camera ready while you fill it out.” She gave him a nod as he opened a hatch in the floor, revealing a secret room where he conducted his forgery operations.

Lucretia sat down in a chair and looked at the first blank on the form: name. She hadn’t thought of a new name for herself and took a minute or two to think it over. _‘A name? Name. I need a name. Hmm, well, I used Devan’s name already as my first name. It’s a nice name and I like how it sounds. And I guess it would be a good gesture towards her to use her name. Now for the last name. I don’t know… it’s got to be good.’_ She looked around the room for some inspiration, her gaze coming upon a pair of red, plastic dice on the desk. _‘Luck. Devan Luck. I like the sound of that.’_ She filled in the blank and continued with the rest of the form.

When Lucretia was done, she handed Joe the form and got her picture taken for the ID cards. As he worked on the documents, Lucretia waited out in the front of the shop. An hour later, he finished up the last document and called for her to come to the secret room under his shop. As she got up from her seat, she switched the sign on the front door from “open” to “closed” before heading down. After sliding down the ladder into the secret room, Joe handed over all the newly forged documents.

“Okay, here’s everything,” said Joe.

“Everything?” asked Lucretia

“Everything. I have your new driver’s license, pilot’s license, birth certificate, everything in-between. And it’s all Virgo Tetrian, just like you specified,” said Joe as he handed Lucretia a manila envelope. As Lucretia tried to take it from him, he kept a firm grip on it while stretching out his other hand. “My fee?”

Lucretia scowled and reached into her wallet, pulling out the old man’s money. “Yeah yeah, here,” she said as she handed over the bills before taking the envelope from him.

“Pleasure doing business with you,” said Joe before turning around to count the bills.

“You’re welcome,” said Lucretia as she drew her sidearm and shot Joe straight through the back of the head, splattering his brains all over a file cabinet. His body shuddered and fell to the floor. She couldn’t have any loose ends and he was the only one who knew she was still alive. She holstered her weapon and retrieved the money scattered along the ground. Being a greedy person that she was, she found a random bag and looted his secret room and dead body for anything valuable.

Spotting the surveillance monitors on a table, Lucretia went over and made sure all of the security footage was deleted, even going as far as destroying all the monitors and consoles so nothing could be retrieved. Once she was done, she climbed the ladder back up to the shop and made sure the hatch was fully hidden. Looking around, she began looting again and hit the register and Joe’s personal quarters upstairs above the shop. After she was satisfied, she left the store, shutting off the lights and taping a piece of paper to the front window which said “On vacation. Don’t know when I’ll be back.”

Remembering the time left on the parking meter, Lucretia headed back to her ship to add more time. When she got back, she paid upfront in cash for twenty-four hours so she didn’t have to worry about parking. The hour was getting late, so she just stayed in the ship for the rest of the evening. She dropped the bag from Joe’s shop on the floor as she slumped down in the pilot’s seat. She found some food leftover from Rayff’s ship and had a quick meal before falling fast asleep.

#

Lucretia awoke to the annoying buzz of her digital watch’s alarm. She switched it off, patting her head due to a slight headache brought on from drinking an entire bottle of wine the night before. “Man, I haven’t done that since Devan died,” she said.

Once Lucretia got up from sitting all night, she felt that her bladder was full and clutched her gut. She quickly exited the ship and headed into the terminal in search of a restroom. Spotting one once she entered the building, she went in and relieved herself. Sighing with relief, she left the stall only to find herself face-to-face with two male thugs.

“What do we have here? A lovely lass traveling alone, wandering an empty terminal early in the morning,” said one of the thugs.

Lucretia frowned and closed the stall’s door. “C’mon, guys. You’re not supposed to be in here. This is a ladies’ room,” she said.

The first thug brandished a large knife, waving it in Lucretia’s face. “I don’t think you understand the situation you’re in, Love,” he said.

The thug’s partner stepped forward, edging closer to her. “Give us all your valuables, and no one gets hurt,” he said.

“Please, you wouldn’t harm a woman, would you?” asked Lucretia.

The thug’s partner darted forward and grabbed Lucretia’s arm, but she diverted it away with a forceful blow. She followed up with a firm sidekick to his midsection, forcing him to the ground a few feet away. The thug with the knife attacked Lucretia by thrusting with his weapon, but she dodged the attack by sidestepping. She then disarmed him by breaking his arm with a grapple technique. Once he was neutralized, she forced him to his knees and drew her gun, placing it right against his head. Seeing the other thug start to recover, she fired a shot into the thug’s head then shot the other before he could get back to his feet.

Once Lucretia had calmed down, she holstered her pistol and looked at the bloodshed she caused. She sighed and went to the sink to wash her hands. _‘Damn it. I need to learn discretion when dealing with these situations. Now I have to move the ship. Great.’_ As she was washing her hands, she noticed a shower in the corner of the restroom. _‘Maybe I’ll take a nice, hot shower before leaving.’_

Lucretia quickly disrobed and put her clothes in the PAC located next to the shower. Once the PAC started up, she stepped into the shower and began washing up. During her shower, her clothes were being washed and dried, hopefully being done by the time she was finished showering. Inside the stall, there was already soap and shampoo contained in a dispenser, so she didn’t need to bring any of her own. The stall also had a built-in dryer, so no towels were necessary. When she was done, she got dressed, making sure not to step in the blood puddles from the two dead thugs. Before heading back to the ship to relocate, she took the thugs’ wallets, watches, and the knife.

Lucretia disengaged the landing pad locks and started up the ship, sitting in the pilot’s seat and thinking of what was next on her agenda. _‘Okay, what’s next? Got my hair and eye color changed. Got my new identity documents.’_ She took another bite of her breakfast bar and turned around, eyeing all the boxes, bags, and miscellaneous items stashed in the cargo hold and stacked to the ceiling. _‘Man, I need to get rid of all this stuff.’_ What really stood out to her were all the dollar bill bundles overflowing from several bags. _‘Maybe I should put this money somewhere safe first. Having all these valuables all in one place is making feel… uneasy.’_

Lucretia set the auto-pilot and let it pilot the ship to the next destination. She was headed to a bank she and Rayff visited often, a non-commercial bank favored by outlaws and people engaging in sketchy monetary transactions. Those kinds of banks didn’t care about the law and gladly took in bills stolen from legitimate banks. The services provided by those kinds of banks were the easiest way to get rid of marked, or potentially marked, bills. At least, it was easier than laundering the money oneself.

Most people used non-commercial banks to offload their money, despite the doubled transaction fees. From there, people then made accounts at legitimate banks to transfer over their assets from their non-commercial account, since it was just numbers in a computer. Having the assets in a digital account bypassed security checks on stolen money in the form of physical bills.

The ship landed at the pad closest to the bank which was about a few blocks down the road. Lucretia gathered all the loose bills and put them into two duffel bags, stuffing them to capacity. She made sure she had all the necessary banking information and left the ship, taking care of the parking fees before heading off. She had the bags slung over her shoulders and one hand on her sidearm. Most muggings in the area happened to people heading to the bank to make deposits. Lucretia had two fully loaded bags of money and had no intention of parting with them any time soon.

Fortunately for Lucretia, she made it to the bank without any hassles and entered the building. Immediately, she noticed the armored guards in each of the bank’s corners, covered in body armor and armed with assault weapons. The bank wasn’t too busy, so she didn’t have to wait too long before she found an empty attendant. The banker motioned Lucretia over to his office, and she closed the door after entering.

“Please, have a seat,” said the banker. Lucretia acknowledged and sat down in the vacant chair in front of the desk, placing the duffel bags by her seat. The banker took his place behind his desk and sat as well. “My name’s Charles. How can I help you today?”

“I need to create a bank account and conduct a few transfers,” said Lucretia.

“Okay, what kind of account?” asked Charles while typing on his keyboard.

“Checking,” said Lucretia.

“All right, let me see some identification and I can finish creating your account,” said Charles.

Lucretia took out her wallet and handed over her new ID card, almost not recognizing herself in the ID’s picture. Charles looked at the ID and handed it back to her.

“Okay, all done. Your new account has been made,” said Charles after filling in the last pieces of information. “Now with regards to the fees. The price for creating an account is fifty dollars. Use of our services each month is one-hundred dollars, and five percent of the total amount of money moved during transactions is paid to us as well. So right now, you owe us fifty dollars, unless you want to pay for the month’s services now in advance?”

Lucretia put her ID card away and reached into her wallet, slapping three fifty-dollar bills on the desk. “There you go,” she said.

Charles took the money and checked off her payment on the computer. “Thank you very much. Now, you said that you wanted to make some transactions as well?” he asked.

“Yes, I did. I’m part of Rayff’s pirate crew and I’ve been appointed ‘treasurer’ of his group. So now that I’m in charge of their finances, he’s ordered me to pool all of the member’s assets into a single account. Why he wants that done, I don’t know,” said Lucretia.

“And you wouldn’t happen to have all their banking information, would you?” asked Charles.

“In fact, I do,” said Lucretia as she pulled out a notebook that had all the pirates’ banking numbers compiled in it. She made sure she had everyone’s codes before leaving Rayff’s ship, having had to dig around for them all in all the private quarters.

Charles was skeptical about Lucretia’s true motives, but whether she was telling the truth or not, he didn’t really care. He was getting paid one way or another, and if there were any problems, it was for the bank to deal with. “Okay. So what’s first?” he asked.

Lucretia checked her notebook and looked at the account numbers. She didn’t want to seem suspicious by starting with her account, so she began with Rayff’s account since he was in charge. After that, she transferred all the assets out of her old account then went down the list, reading all the other pirates’ bank accounts. By the time Charles was done making the transfers, Lucretia had around five million dollars in her account, even after paying a hefty service fee.

Before Lucretia could stand up from her seat, Charles had drawn a pistol from under his desk and had it pointed it at her. She glared at him and started moving her hand slowly towards her sidearm. “What is the meaning of this?” she asked.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Even if you did manage to kill me, I doubt that your little pistol would be able to put a dent on the armed guards outside,” said Charles.

Lucretia moved her hand away from her weapon and stood casually. “You wouldn’t shoot me,” she said.

“I beg to differ,” said Charles, cocking the hammer of his gun with his thumb.

Lucretia started to take him more seriously and crossed her arms over her chest. “So, what’s this about?” she asked.

“I think that a tip is in order. Don’t you think?” said Charles.

“What kind of _tip_?” asked Lucretia as she glared at him.

“Oh, nothing much… say one-hundred bucks,” said Charles.

“Do you usually do this to your clients?” asked Lucretia, taking a hundred-dollar bill out of one of her duffel bags.

“Just to the ones that can afford it,” said Charles. He took the tip and lowered his weapon, smiling devilishly. “Have a nice day.”

“You better hope we don’t meet again, or else,” said Lucretia.

“We’ll see about that,” said Charles.

Lucretia gave him the finger as she exited his office, taking her money-filled duffel bags with her. She made her way to the bank teller windows and stood in line to make a deposit. A smile started to form on her face, thinking about how she become a millionaire just moments ago. When the person in front of her was finished, she picked up her bags and approached the window.

“What can I do for you?” asked the bank teller.

“I’d like to make a deposit,” said Lucretia.

“I can see,” said the bank teller, watching Lucretia take bundle after bundle of bills out of her duffel bags.

Lucretia put the money through a small opening underneath the window, allowing the teller to take the bills. The teller then started putting the bundles through an automated money counter, making sure the amount being deposited was correct. By the time she was done emptying the bags, the teller’s machine had counted up the total amount. Before going to the bank, Lucretia had counted all the bills herself, so if the teller told her a number anything other than the one she came up with, she was going to be severely irritated.

The teller took the last of the bills from the machine and stacked it neatly off to the side on the table. “You have a total of $358,462. To which account would you like to deposit all this?” she asked.

“Mine, if you would so kindly,” said Lucretia after handing over her new bank card.

“Say, where did you get all this money anyway?” asked the bank teller.

Lucretia looked at the teller with a standoffish look. “Nowhere, so it’s none of your business,” she said.

The teller shrugged it off and took the card, swiping it on the money counter. “Here you go. Your money has been deposited into your account,” said the bank teller. She handed back the card and had another employee start moving Lucretia’s deposited money into the safe.

Taking back her card, Lucretia picked up her empty duffel bags and left the bank with a grin on her face. During her walk back to the ship, she went over what she still needed to get done. _‘$5,732,580.12. About half way done. Just gotta sell all the stuff in the ship, make my legit bank account, sell the ship, buy a new ship, buy a home, and get all my stuff out of the storage unit. Huh, actually, I still have a lot to do.’_

Since Lucretia was in an ideal place to do so, she thought about starting first with selling all the excess weapons and ammunition she pillaged. When she got back to the ship, she took inventory of all the weapons and ammunition she didn’t want to keep. She decided to keep the weapons and ammunition from her military days, since it was easy to track the sale of military-grade items, especially the ones she had used during the day she betrayed Devan. They also had some sentimental value, particularly Devan’s sniper rifle, so she held on to them. The pirates she looted from didn’t have much in terms of unique or rare weapons. They mainly had common pistols, shotguns, and a few rifles and submachine guns. One weapon, however, piqued her interest. Rayff’s stainless steel magnum was among the items she stole from the ship. It had a custom slab-sided barrel and a few personalized engravings in it. It was slightly sentimental, even if it did bring up bad memories, so she held on to it as well.

After everything was ready to be sold, Lucretia looked up all the weapons dealers in the area. She called each of them using a public phone to see if they were interested in buying what she had to offer. The first few vendors said they weren’t interested and hung up right away, but the third was buying and gave estimates for some of the items she had. The prices were a bit low but reasonable, so she didn’t care that much. Her goal was to offload everything, so if the price was right at least to her, she’d take it without haggling the buyer too much.

Lucretia hung up the phone then went downstairs to the lowest level of the landing terminal in search of a vehicle with a large cargo capacity. She spotted a gray van in the back of the rental lot and claimed it, paying the rental fee at the office.

After making her way back up to her ship, she started packing the weapons and ammunition she wanted to sell. She loaded her empty duffel bags with the sidearms and submachine guns in one and the excess ammunition in the other. Seeing that she had a lot of items, she had to make several trips to and from the ship and the van. On her last trip down, she secured her ship and took the remaining rifles to the van, hoping she’d be able to sell everything.

Lucretia stuffed everything into the back of the van then got into the driver’s seat. She remained optimistic as she drove out of the parking lot towards the meeting spot. The weapons buyer told her to meet him at an abandoned warehouse to conduct their transaction. When she arrived, the guy was already there with his pickup truck and a couple of armed guards.

“The fuck is this?” asked Lucretia after slowly driving up to them. Seeing that they hadn’t opened fire yet, she assumed it was safe to get out. She turned off the vehicle and kept her sidearm readily available. When she got out, the buyer approached her vehicle while the guards remained by the pickup truck. “What’s with the guards?” she asked, shutting the van door.

“It’s just a precaution, something I do with first time deals with new people. So, what have you got for me?” asked the buyer.

“Right this way,” said Lucretia, making her way to the rear of the van. She opened up the back doors and revealed all the weapons and ammunition she had to offer.

The buyer examined the goods with moderate satisfaction. “These are what you were talking about? This is just common stuff that can be found anywhere,” he said.

“And? I told you the models of all the weapons I had to offer. I also have ammunition and you can never have too much ammunition,” said Lucretia.

“Well, you’ve got a point there, but I need to make a profit, so I can’t be buying too high now,” said the buyer.

“I understand. So what do you want for all this?”

“All of this? Hmm… let me think. I may only want some of the items for my business,” said the buyer.

“Listen, Buddy. It’s all or nothing. But don’t worry. I’m sure we can work out a reasonable price,” said Lucretia.

The buyer took a moment to think it over and inspected everything. After contemplating for a bit, he turned to Lucretia. “Fifteen hundred bucks for everything, and not a cent more,” he said while taking out his wallet.

“Done. Have your men offload my van and I’ll be on my way,” said Lucretia after taking the man’s money.

“What’s your name? If you have anything else in the future, look me up. I’m sure continued business between you and me will benefit the both of us,” said the buyer.

“The name’s Devan Luck,” she said, pocketing the money.

“I’m Barry Tilson. Pleasure,” he said, outstretching his hand for a shake.

“Yeah, just hurry it up. I’ve got things to do,” said Lucretia while returning the gesture.

Once Barry’s men had unloaded all the weapons and ammunition, Lucretia got back into her van and left. _‘Good. Sell all the weapons- check. One and a half grand for everything wasn’t as much as I wanted, but whatever. I got rid of all that junk.’_ She continued back to the terminal to take care of the next order of business: selling everything else in the ship. She started off with the electronics, checking out used electronics stores and pawn shops to try and off load them there.

#

Over the next month, Lucretia spent her time finishing up her transition to her new life as Devan Luck. While she was finding people to sell things to, she scoped out some property inside Bower City, one of the main developed cities on the planet Neonia. Having expensive tastes and an excess of money, she looked at only the most premium living arrangements available. Eventually, she settled for the penthouse apartment at the top of Banks Tower, the premier apartment complex within the city.

Lucretia chose the penthouse due to its relative seclusion away from prying eyes. It already came fully furnished with the latest security systems including security cameras, a fully-stocked panic room, a reinforced front door with a Level-III lock, and highly bullet-resistant windows. The apartment came standard with one master bedroom, one smaller guest room, a kitchen and dining area, an office area in front of the main window in the atrium/living room, and a bathroom in each bedroom. The previous owner didn’t live in the penthouse for long, only about a couple of weeks, so everything was still relatively new.

Lucretia was content with how everything was furnished, so she didn’t have to deal with hiring people to work on her new home, though, there were some things that she wanted to add to her new abode. Since the penthouse was already soundproof, she wanted to add a personal shooting range for handguns and other low-caliber weapons. She also ordered a Tekka 9000 Special surround sound system for her living room along with a Tekka wall-sized holo-projection screen. In the kitchen, she had someone add in a custom wine and alcohol storage area along with a mini-bar in the living room.

During the procurement of the property, renovations, and general transition, Lucretia was living in the luxurious hotel across the street, conducting her business from there. Once she sold everything that she pillaged from Rayff’s ship, she sold the smaller cargo ship and bought herself a red Comet Industries SFX-3000, a sleek, single-seat shuttle with its own hyperdrive. Along with a new spaceship, she purchased a red Renault C400 Seabreeze, a luxurious high-end coupe.

In adapting to her new life in the big city, and living in a high-class hotel, she needed some new threads. She wasn’t much of a girly girl and didn’t wear dresses often, but she did have a high standard of fashion. She visited a high-class tailor and got a custom fitted black suit with a dark-red blouse and black tie. Along with the suit, she got a pair of matching black oxfords and black pristine leather gloves.

Once the last upgrade to her apartment was finished, Lucretia got ready to move in and begin her new life on the right foot. She got dressed in her suit then packed up everything from her hotel room into her car. After vacating her hotel room, she made sure she was spick and span then grabbed her bag, heading for the front desk to checkout. After taking care of business, she went into the hotel parking lot and drove across the street into the Banks Tower underground parking lot, making her way to her own personal garage space. She hit the automatic door opener and parked inside, closing the door after departing from her garage. Her garage was completely empty and had enough room to fit two vehicles plus a bit of extra room for storage. It was fully lit and temperature controlled for optimal storage of high-end cars. She took her duffel bag that contained her personal belongings and left the rest for later.

Lucretia made her way out of the garage and into the lobby of her new apartment. _‘Man, I can’t wait to see what they’ve done to the penthouse. I just want to get all this preparation stuff behind me and start living. All I’ve been doing is work.’_ She let out a sigh but smiled, glad that everything was almost done. She still had to clear out her storage locker and fully move in, but that wasn’t a priority. She also had to go shopping for food and other basic necessities, but that could wait too. When she arrived in the lobby, she was greeted by one of the staff there.

“Good afternoon, Ms. Luck. How are you doing today?” asked the apartment employee.

“Um, fine. Thanks,” said Lucretia as she made her way to her private elevator which led up to her penthouse. Only she could use it, since she had the only keycard, and it led to a small hallway leading to the secure door to her penthouse. Once the elevator doors opened, and after entering her apartment, she was amazed and relieved at how everything looked. All the new furniture she had bought was already there and placed in the correct spot. Everything was clean and undamaged. The electronics were fully installed in the living room and looked just as she had imagined. She walked around the apartment and found a couple maintenance workers putting the finishing touches on her private shooting range.

“Ah, Ms. Luck. Just in time to see your new shooting range, ma’am,” said one of the workers. Lucretia had converted an old bowling alley the previous owner had into the shooting range, so it wasn’t too hard finding room for it.

“Looks amazing, Rick. Is it done?” asked Lucretia.

“Just about. Want to try it out?” asked Rick.

“I don’t have a gun on me,” said Lucretia.

“Don’t worry. We brought one to test the range’s soundproofness and the bullet stoppers at the back,” said Rick, revealing a pistol on his belt. He had his assistant cleanup the area and collect their tools before getting a target set up. Once everything was clear and safe to shoot, Rick handed over his sidearm. “So, ma’am. Do you know how to handle one of these?”

“You kidding me? Give me that,” said Lucretia. She snatched the pistol from him and checked the firearm to see if it was loaded. She then unlocked the safety and unloaded all ten rounds downrange in under twenty seconds. “Hmm, this pistol of yours seems to be a little loose. You should get that looked at,” she said, handing back the pistol.

“That was impressive, ma’am. Where did you learn to shoot like that?” asked Rick, looking at the tight grouping in the target ten feet downrange.

“Self-taught. Now if you don’t mind, you can leave. I want to get more acquainted with my new home. You can send me the bill whenever,” said Lucretia.

“Sure. Can do. Thank you for your business,” said Rick as he and his assistant gathered up their tools.

Once they had everything, Lucretia walked them to the door and closed it after they had left, turning around with a huge smile. She pranced around her penthouse like a little girl, admiring all the furnishings and expensive additions. She toured the living room, kitchen, and even the guest room. When she got to the master bedroom, she chuckled with delight then laughed devilishly as she fell backwards onto her bed, satisfied that everything was finally coming together. She beat the odds and had a new life, one of luxury and fine living. No longer was she forced to be a subordinate and live the dull routine of a military grunt.

“Ah. Now this is the life,” said Lucretia.


	4. Freelance

It took Lucretia a few days to get settled in to her new home at the top of Banks Tower. She went to her storage locker and moved all of her old possessions from her previous life to her new home, squaring them all away in their proper place. Once that was set, she went grocery shopping to buy food and other home supplies to fill the empty fridge and cabinets. After everything was in their rightful place, and all the tasks on her list completed, she decided to have a little fun.

“What should I wear for tonight?” said Lucretia, looking into her vast closet. Though, it was mostly empty except for some old clothes, her military uniforms and gear, and a few new sets of clothes she had recently bought. “Hmm… I need something classy,” she said, moving passed her old clothes and uniforms. She was split between her fitted suit and an elegant red dress she purchased on a whim. She decided on the dress and a nice pair of matching pumps to wear. Once she was ready, she gathered her matching purse, making sure she had her bank card and ID cards on her way down to her car.

Lucretia got into her car and backed out of her garage before driving towards a nearby casino. During the drive, she just wished the money she had on her would last the night. She was headed to the Dusk till Dawn Casino, one of the largest casinos on the planet. It was located in the city nearby, so the drive there was short. As she drove up to the front of the casino entrance, a valet was there to greet her.

“Good evening, ma’am,” said the valet.

“There better not be a single scratch or I’ll have your head,” said Lucretia, glaring at him as she got out.

“Understood, ma’am,” said the valet who was used to getting idle threats. He got in the car and drove off to the valet parking lot.

As Lucretia watched her car drive away, she looked towards the entrance and admired the neon lights and high-class surroundings. She smiled contently and made her way inside, heading towards the chip exchange booth. The interior was bustling with activity as it was the peak hour for gambling. All around her, there were people of class and wealthy, all having a good time and spending their money at the various games. She casually walked over to the booth and approached the teller.

“How can I help you, ma’am?” asked the teller.

“Five thousand in chips, please,” said Lucretia, handing over her bank card.

The teller complied and took Lucretia’s card before counting out the appropriate amount of chips. She handed back a tray of chips amounting to five thousand dollars and her bank card. “Enjoy your visit and good luck,” said the teller.

“Hmph, thanks,” said Lucretia before walking away with her tray and card. She placed her card back in her purse and looked around to see what she wanted to do first. She decided on making some quick cash and went over to a roulette table.

After watching a few turns, Lucretia placed all her chips on red. She figured to start off big and win a lot while also risking losing in the first few minutes. “Five thousand on red,” she said to the table operator. She anxiously watched the table turn as the ball was placed in it, though she still looked calm and confident on the exterior. As the roulette started to slow down, everyone playing at the table looked on in anticipation to see if she would win or lose. Once the roulette finally slowed to a stop, the ball rested in a red slot, making her the winner and doubling her money.

“Off to a good start,” said Lucretia after a slight exhale, collecting her winnings. Once her chips were tucked away on her tray, she left to find a more exciting game to play.

Throughout the night, Lucretia spent her time mostly playing Blackjack and a bit of other games, increasing her original starting amount by almost ten times. As the hour reached the early morning hours, she cashed out and had a few drinks at the bar. Her alcoholic drinks all had a cherry-flavored theme to them as she sat at the bar, celebrating her good fortunate. As she was drinking, she happened to overhear a conversation between two men sitting at a table near her.

“It’s an impossible shot, Jay. I can’t do it,” said one of the men.

“Carl, you have to do it. We already took the job, and if we don’t get it done, we don’t get paid. This is the opportune moment to hit the guy. What’s so hard about it?” asked Jay.

“First off, it’s at night, so visibility will be low. Second, it’s in the middle of nowhere, so where am I going to hide? And finally, it’s around a thousand-yard shot! I can’t shoot that far out with what I got,” said Carl.

Lucretia couldn’t help but let out a loud chuckle, her sense of politeness stunted by all the alcohol in her system. “You kidding me? A thousand yards is no problem. I can make that shot no problem,” she said.

The two men looked over at her with annoyed looks. “Hey, lady, mind your own business if you know what’s good for you,” said Jay.

“Pssh… whatever. It’s your loss,” said Lucretia before downing the rest of her drink. The two men were about to continue their conversation until Lucretia started talking again, babbling on about the specifics of long-distance shooting. “You know, the shot’s pretty easy if you know all the variables… like wind speed, elevation. Even the rotation of the planet plays a part in taking one of those long-distance shots.”

Carl was about to tell her to be quiet, but Jay stopped him. “Go on. What else can you tell us about this ‘impossible’ shot?” asked Jay.

“Heh, it’s not impossible. I used to take shots like that _all_ the time. You just need to find a good firing position, set up camp, and wait. I can do it for you if you want,” said Lucretia as she began guzzling down another cherry martini.

“Hmmm… hey, Carl, get lost. I think I’ve found myself a new shooter,” said Jay while still looking Lucretia over.

“But I took this job first!” said Carl.

“And you said you can’t do it, so beat it. I’ll call you if I get another job,” said Jay. Carl looked at him then to Lucretia with a glare, grimacing before storming off. Once he was gone, Jay got up from his seat and sat down next to her at the bar. “So, you say you can make the shot?” he asked.

Lucretia put down her glass and turned to Jay with a drunken look. “What do you think I’ve been talking about for the past hour? _Hic._ Of course, I can make the shot. I’ve trained my whole life to make shots like those. _Hic_ ,” she said in-between drunken hiccups.

“Right… so I was thinking. Maybe I can bring you onboard and make a deal. Say… sixty-forty? I get the bigger portion, of course, since I took the job and all. Forty percent isn’t half bad, you being new and all,” said Jay. Even though Lucretia was drunk, he didn’t want to take too much advantage of her. Pushing for 60/40 was already hard enough and he needed her to do the job. “What do you say? Forty percent of something is better than zero percent of nothing, right?”

Lucretia just sat there in a drunken stupor, trying to make out what he said in her head. After just sitting there silent for a few moments, she smiled and raised her glass. “Sure. Sounds like a- fun. _Hic_. What do I gotta do, homes?” she asked. As Jay went over the mission specifics, none of it sunk into her head as she pretended to listen. Instead, she just sat there, drinking and making stupid faces as he spoke.

Once Jay was done, he gave Lucretia a special scope to use for the mission along with his business card. The scope acted as a video recorder, recording everything that was seen through the scope. Unfortunately, it was a sub-par scope which was partially why the original shooter, Carl, thought the shot was impossible. On the business card was his video-chat number as well as his phone number, just in case she needed to contact him again about the mission.

“Now are you sure you understand what you need to do? You seem a little… too drunk to be thinking about a hit,” said Jay.

“Naw, I like my hair spiky like this,” said Lucretia who was totally oblivious to her surroundings by then.

“Right… well, if you need anything, give me a call. You have one week to finish the job, so hurry up and sober up,” said Jay before leaving.

Lucretia watched him leave and decided it was time to go home as well. Once she got up from her seat, she struggled to stay on her feet. After she got her footing, she wobbly made her way back to the entrance to drive home. “Yo, valet, where mah car be?” she asked while walking over to the same valet she left her car with.

“Um, don’t you think you’re a bit too drunk to be driving, ma’am?” asked the valet.

“Nonsense! Uh, maybe,” said Lucretia.

“Let me see your bar card, please,” said the valet.

“What? You mean this thingie?” asked Lucretia, reaching into her purse and taking out her bar card. Before she started drinking at the bar, she had to fill out a “bar card”. It had her name, address, and how many drinks she had, which was annotated by the bartender. It was so security and other casino personnel could tell how drunk a person was and what to do with them if there was a problem.

“Hmm… Banks Tower, Penthouse. That’s not too far away. I’ll arrange one of the escorts to bring you back home, Ms. Luck. Just have a seat until it gets here,” said the valet.

“Why thank you, GOOD SIR. I SHALL have a seat,” said Lucretia before slumping down on one of the benches out there. As she waited, she dozed off into an alcohol-induced slumber.

#

When Lucretia woke up, her head was pounding. When she opened her eyes, she found herself back at her apartment, lying on her bed in her bedroom. As the pain stung her head, she reached over to her bedside table and reached into the drawer, pulling out a container of anti-hangover pills. She opened it up and popped a couple into her mouth.

 _‘Urgh, what the heck happened last night?’_ Lucretia thought as she swallowed the pills. She noticed she was still in her dress, so she went to the bathroom to change and wash up. Once she changed into street clothes and cleaned up, she picked up her purse from the bed and opened it up to make sure she still had her bank card. Not only did she find her bank card, she also found a bar card, a valet ticket, a rifle scope, and a business card.

 _‘The fuck is this?’_ she wondered as she picked up the scope and card. Immediately after reading the card, she remembered her conversation with Jay at the bar. She couldn’t remember all the specifics, but she did remember talking with him. Curious and eager to know exactly what happened last night, she went into her living room and dialed the video-chat number onto the digital panel of her wall-sized screen. She stood back so she could see the entire screen and waited, tapping her foot with her arms crossed.

After a few seconds of ringing, Jay answered the call. “Ms. Luck, I was wondering when you’d call. Sober yet?” he asked.

“Very. Now tell me, what happened last night and what exactly were we talking about?” asked Lucretia.

“I had a feeling you wouldn’t remember anything in that drunken state of yours, which is why I gave you my card with my contact information on it. Anyway, you overhead me and my colleague talking about making a hit. He said it was impossible, so I gave him the boot. You offered your assistance and took the job, so I replaced him with you. You wanted to help, remember?” said Jay.

“Partially. I do remember all that, but none of the specifics. Enlighten me as to what this job entails,” aid Lucretia.

Jay sighed and began from the beginning. “Carl and I took a job to take out a rival arms dealer named Hank Jorgen. He’s a male leopard and I can give you a pic of him later. Anyway, he’s said to be visiting a nearby property of his, a warehouse, in about a week. His warehouse is located in an open field in the middle of nowhere with nothing around. All we have to do is kill him, but my partner thought the shot couldn’t be done. We planned on taking him out long range, since we couldn’t get any closer, but the shot is too hard, according to Carl. Then you showed up and told us otherwise. We have a rifle and everything set to go for the shot,” he said.

“I already have a rifle. I’ve got that covered,” said Lucretia.

“That’s good, because I didn’t feeling like bringing mine to you anyway,” said Jay.

“So, I have one week to kill this guy, and I have to use the scope you gave me to record it, yes?” asked Lucretia.

“Exactly. After you kill him, we’ll arrange to meet again, so you can hand over the scope with the proof that the target is dead. And, of course, you’ll get your share once I turn in the scope. Seventy-thirty, I believe was what we agreed on,” said Jay.

“Now wait just a second there. I do remember that part. It was sixty-forty, and if you try to fuck with me again like that, consider all this off,” said Lucretia.

“Now now, let’s not get hostile. If you decide to bail on us, my partner and I will hunt you down. We will find you, and we will beat our money out of you,” said Jay.

“I’d like to see you try. But don’t worry, I’ll do the job. I’ve been wanting to get out and do something anyway,” said Lucretia.

“Good to hear. I’m sending all the intel we have on the guy. See you in a week,” said Jay before signing off.

Lucretia went over to the control tablet for the big screen and looked at all the files Jay sent her. As she was skimming through the files, she couldn’t remember how she got back home. She forgot to ask him about it while they were talking. She shrugged it off and went into the kitchen for some breakfast. When she made her way over, she saw a piece of paper on the countertop. It was from the casino and it said:

_Thank you for visiting Dusk till Dawn Casino. If you are reading this, then that means you were too drunk to drive home and an escort had to bring you home instead. The fee for using this service will be billed to your address. If you fail to pay up, just remember- we know where you live. If you drove to the casino and need to retrieve your vehicle, then please call our concierge at the number below to have an escort pick you up. We hope you enjoyed your visit and do visit us again._

_-Management_

“So that’s how I got back. Meh. I’ll get my car later,” said Lucretia before continuing to the fridge in pursuit of sustenance.

As Lucretia was eating some breakfast, she pondered about the job she was about to do. _‘Maybe I shouldn’t have taken the job. I’m supposed to be lying low, right? But then again, I need a job. Where else am I going to get money to sustain my lifestyle? What I have now isn’t exactly going to last me. I guess this could be fun. If this mission goes well, then I’ll think about continuing. If not… looks like it’s just casino winnings to get me by. Either that or a real job. Just the thought of an honest day’s work just gives me the chills.’_ After her meal, she looked over the files and tried to come up with a plan.

While Lucretia was thinking, she went into her closet to find something to wear for the job. _‘What to wear, what to wear. I’ve got nothing. Hmm… there is my old combat gear. It’s comfy, practical, tactical, and most suited for long-range shooting and getting down and dirty. It’s going to be night anyway, and in the middle of nowhere, so no one is going to notice.’_ She took out her uniform and gear to make sure everything was ready to go. She stocked the pouches and pockets with the necessary equipment and ammunition she needed for the job. As a precaution, she planned to wear street clothes during the drive out and change before she moved on foot. She packed everything into a duffel bag and made sure her weapons were good to go.

“I never thought I’d use this again,” said Lucretia as she opened up her weapons safe. She pulled out Devan’s sniper rifle and began to disassemble it to clean all the parts. When she was done, she kept it mostly disassembled so it was easier to pack and conceal. Along with the rifle, she packed her pistol just in case. She put the rifle in a rifle bag and set it next to her duffel bag.

After all that, Lucretia scouted the surrounding area for a bigger shooting range. She wanted to test out her new scope and make sure the rifle was working as it should. She found an outdoor range that supported long-range rifles in addition to normal handguns and shotguns. She changed into casual street clothes and took her rifle and pistol, bringing along her old scope as well to make sure the rifle was zeroed correctly.

The ride to the range took about thirty minutes to get there by car. When Lucretia arrived, the lot was mostly empty, so she figured it wasn’t going to be too hard to find a lane where she wouldn’t be bothered while she shot. She took her rifle bag and another bag containing her ammunition, scopes, and pistol from the car and headed inside to get a range card.

“Hello there. Haven’t seen you around. What do you need, miss?” asked the employee at the front desk.

“Um, hi. I need one of the rifle lanes for long-distance shooting,” said Lucretia before beginning to fill out the questionnaire for a range card.

“Long-distance, eh? How far do you need and what do you use? I don’t see a rifle anywhere,” said the range employee.

“I shoot a custom Lancaster CSR-50. As for range, I need targets at least a thousand yards out,” said Lucretia.

“A CSR-50? How did you get your hands on one of those? Ain’t that one of the sniper rifles the military uses?”

Lucretia paused, kicking herself on the inside for almost giving away her true identity. “Why, yes. But this is my father’s. He used it while he was in the service. He gave it to me as a gift and I mostly shoot for sport, whereas he shot to kill,” she said on the fly.

“I see. Well, we do have a section for long-range shooting that has targets ranging out to a thousand yards, so you’re good to go. Black range is the one you’re looking for,” said the employee, handing Lucretia her range card after she was done filling out the paperwork.

“Thanks,” said Lucretia, taking the card before proceeding onto the ranges.

The first range Lucretia came to was the handgun range, but she passed that along with the submachine gun, shotgun, and assault rifle ranges. The long-distance shooting range was secluded away from the others and was completely empty. She picked a spot to herself and began setting up.

Lucretia got out her sniper rifle and assembled it, letting it rest on its bipod while she loaded the magazine. Before loading the rifle, she attached her old scope and suppressor. Once everything was ready to fire, she got out her spotter’s scope and scanned downrange for something to shoot. At a distance of about one hundred to five hundred yards, she began to spot targets, but those distances were no problem for her. She continued looking until she spotted the ones at the thousand-yard mark. Eventually, she spotted them in the distance. They were bright-red, metal circles that said “1,000” on them.

Lucretia put in her earplugs and moved over to her rifle while still lying on the ground. She flipped up the scope covers and shouldered the weapon. She zeroed in on the target, exhaling slowly to get her breathing under control. She steadied her hand and kept the target in focus. Switching the safety off, she placed her finger on the trigger, waiting for the right moment to shoot. In her mind, she was accounting for all the variables she mentioned earlier to Jay. Once the breeze stopped, she fired, barely clipping the edge of the target.

“Huh, not bad for the first shot after weeks of stagnation,” said Lucretia before adjusting her scope to account for her previous shot. She refocused in on the target and fired again, hitting it a few inches from dead center. After a few more clicks to the scope, she fired again, hitting it right in the middle. She fired off two more shots to make sure she could be consistent. Both of them hit dead center, one right on top of the other. Satisfied with the rifle’s performance, she switched out scopes and adjusted the new one the same way she did her old one.

When Lucretia was ready to fire, she flipped up the scope’s cover and peered through. _‘Huh, this thing seems all right. Around the same amount of magnification. Crosshairs is different, but I’ve seen worse. Now how do you work the recording ability?’_ She took a moment to inspect the scope, looking for a button or switch to turn it on. It took her a bit, but then she found the switch to turn the device on and began recording. There was an LED light that signified the scope was recording.

After Lucretia got back into position and peered through the scope, she realized what the scope’s problem was. Little did she know, once the scope began recording, an annoying icon appeared in the upper right-hand corner of the scope’s lens. When she looked through the scope to shoot, a bright-red recording logo was there which was distracting and obscured part of the sight picture. Unlike Carl, the icon didn’t bother her at all. She still had access to the crosshairs to make accurate shots, and that was all she needed. She readied herself and shot with the new scope attached, hitting the target dead on. She fired two more times to make sure the scope didn’t move and that the rifle was still working perfectly.

Satisfied with her shooting, Lucretia packed up her rifle and made her way over to the pistol range to get reacquainted with her sidearm. The range was busier than the long-distance one with a few people shooting, but she was able to find a stall all to herself and away from the others. She set her rifle bag down by her side and placed her duffel bag on the table, taking out her handgun and ammunition. She loaded a couple of magazines and took aim at a target, placing her first five shots well within the target’s bullseye. She quickly finished her current clip then the other one before leaving the range.

#

The next day, Lucretia decided to get a visual on her target to make sure she knew what he looked like and how he behaved. She was used to following people to gather intelligence, so it all felt natural to her when she took the time to stalk her prey before the hit.

 _‘Ain’t that something. The guy has his own convoy,’_ thought Lucretia as she sat at a coffee café across the street from her target, sipping a caramel mocha. Her target, the arms dealer named Hank, was visiting a bank before his upcoming business deal. Lucretia was casually dressed in a black, knee-long skirt, a partially unbuttoned white blouse, and black blazer with sleek, black pumps. During her reconnaissance, she learned that the target drove in a convoy of three vehicles, particularly favoring being situated in the middle car. That proved to be useful information, because the less time it took trying the find the target when the time came, the better. After tailing the arms dealer for most of the afternoon, she went back home to relax and hit the casino again. This time, she made sure she didn’t get drunk, or at least, too drunk.

On the third day of her allowed seven, Lucretia wanted to plan a route to the warehouse and locate the firing position mentioned in Jay’s files. She put on a casual, bright-red spring dress, a cream-colored sun hat, and dark brown leather boots. She brought along her rifle, disassembled in a non-conspicuous looking bag, and loaded it into her car. As she was speeding down a secluded highway towards the warehouse, she was blaring music as she drove. She had the windows fully down with her left arm resting on the door. _‘This is getting boring. Once I scope out his warehouse and the firing position, I’m going to kill the guy. I’m not even going to wait. I’m taking him out tomorrow for sure.’_

As Lucretia was growing nearer, she could barely see the large structure in the distance. Since she hadn’t seen anyone for miles, she decided to pull off to the side of the road and park, continuing on foot. She grabbed her bag from the trunk and put on her shades, walking up an incline onto an open field. She looked around then started walking, trying to enjoy the walk as she casually strolled along. She took out her phone which had a map of the surrounding area on it and looked around for the rock formation Jay had mentioned. _‘Well, this is nice. Haven’t been able to take a nice walk like this in a while. Nice clear sky. A slight breeze flowing. Temperature is moderate. I might just hang out here for a while… but then again, I want to hit the casino again and I still gotta get back to the city. Oh well.’_

Lucretia spotted the rock formation and headed over to see if it was a good to shoot from. _‘Huh, so far so good,’_ she thought as she climbed up and found a flat patch of rock to lie on. She kept in the shadows of the formation and began assembling her rifle. Once it was back together, she got situated on the rocks and shouldered her weapon, getting a feel for her surroundings. She looked through the scope in the direction of the warehouse, making note of key points of interest. She saw the entrance to the grounds and the entrance to the actual warehouse. The immediate area around the building was fenced off, which obscured her shot just slightly. Once she was comfortable with the firing position, she packed up and headed back to her car.

When Lucretia got back, she found a police officer squad car parked next to it and the officer inspecting the vehicle. “Is this your vehicle, ma’am?” asked the officer.

Lucretia paused, quickly assessing the situation and coming up with ways to get out of it. “Why yes, officer. It is,” she said, trying to buy herself some time.

“Is there any particular reason why your car is abandoned by the road side?” asked the officer as he began walking towards her.

Lucretia stood her ground and played along. “I was… out taking a walk, officer. Just enjoying the weather, sir,” she said.

“Out here?” asked the officer.

“Well, it’s far away from the city and void of any of the industrialized buildings,” said Lucretia with a weak smile.

The officer just looked at Lucretia through his sunglasses and said, “Let me see your identification, ma’am.”

Lucretia grimaced slightly and reached into her bag for her ID card. She eyed her sidearm in the bag, making sure it was readily available if she needed it. While fishing out her ID card, she made sure to hide the contents of the bag from the officer. “Here you go, officer,” she said, finally handing it over.

The officer took it and compared the card to Lucretia. Seeing her as just an innocent woman, he handed back the ID card and let her off with a warning. “If you want to go on a walk, please make sure you park your vehicle in a designated parking lot. It’s not safe to be leaving such a nice car out here all by itself,” he said.

“Thank you, officer. I’ll be careful next time,” said Lucretia after taking back the card and placing it back in her bag.

“Have a good day, ma’am,” said the officer as he made his way back into his car.

“You too,” said Lucretia. She then went back to her car and waited for the officer to depart. Once he left, she frowned with disdain but was relieved that she didn’t have to kill anyone, especially a police officer. After stashing her bag in the trunk, she started up her car and headed back home for an evening of gambling at another casino.

#

When the next day came along, Lucretia spent the daylight hours relaxing and prepping for the mission. As it began getting dark, she packed up and left for the warehouse. Instead of using her personal vehicle, she rented a cheap car to use just for the job; she didn’t want to attract too much attention like last time. She drove to the same point she parked last time, but parked across the street behind some bushes.

After turning off the car, Lucretia took her duffel bag with her uniform and gear in it and got out. She moved to the side of her car and began changing into her mission gear. She wasn’t worried about getting seen, since it was getting dark and there wasn’t anyone around. After gearing up, she got out her rifle and assembled it, since it was easier to carry it assembled rather than in a bag. Before leaving, she double-checked to make sure she had everything then locked the door to her car. After looking both ways to make sure no one was around, she crossed the road and made her way up the incline.

“Just like old times, huh, Devan?” said Lucretia to herself while patting her rifle, talking to it as if it were her partner. Along the way to the rock formation, she made sure that no one was around as she walked at a sedate pace, keeping alert for any signs of trouble.

Once Lucretia got to the final firing position, she laid prone in the same spot as before and set up her rifle, letting it rest on the bipod as she peered through the scope. Everything seemed to be just fine, so all she had to do was wait. It was still an hour before the arms dealer was set to show up, so she had enough time to spare.

After seventy minutes of waiting, Lucretia finally heard vehicles in the distance. The arms supplier had already shown up, but she wasn’t after the supplier; she was there to kill the dealer. She re-shouldered her weapon and looked through the scope in the direction of the warehouse complex’s entrance, engaging the scope’s recording ability. She spotted the convoy of three SUVs moving in the distance towards the warehouse. She kept her sights on the middle vehicle, trying to anticipate where the target was going to depart from the vehicle. The windows were tinted, so she couldn’t get a visual on the target. She continued to watch the convoy until it stopped near where the arms supplier was. When the vehicles stopped and everyone got out, she kept vigilant for the leopard. The arms supplier approached the convoy and began talking to the arms dealer, but he was still blocked by one of the SUVs.

 _‘Shit. I can’t get a shot.’_ Lucretia continued to remain alert, growing anxious about possibly missing out on the shot. She continued watching and an opportunity finally presented itself. The arms supplier led the arms dealer over to his vehicles to inspect some merchandise, moving him out into the open.

Lucretia acted fast and made sure the scope was on before taking the shot. She slowed her breathing and took aim, getting the man’s head in the center of her crosshairs. Once she got control of her breathing, she placed her finger on the trigger and pulled. The bullet shot from her rifle flew across the distance in no time, voiding the man’s head of his brains.

“Perfect,” said Lucretia as she saw the target go down through her scope. After the target was confirmed dead, she quickly got up and grabbed her rifle, running back to her car to get out of there before she was caught. The suppressor made the shot nearly impossible to trace at that range, but she still wanted to get as far away as possible just in case they began searching for the shooter. Once she got back to her car, she quickly changed out of her uniform and stashed her rifle and gear in the trunk. Sitting in the driver’s seat, she sighed with relief, satisfied with a job well done as she began driving back to the city.

#

As Lucretia entered the casino, she headed straight for the bar to meet up with Jay and deliver the scope. She wore the same outfit she did when they first met, seeing it was one of the only fancy outfits she owned at the moment. She saw him sitting by himself at one of the outer tables, so she made her way over to him and sat down in the seat in front of him.

“So, how did it go?” asked Jay.

“Easy,” said Lucretia, handing over his scope.

“Good. Once I have the money from our employer, I’ll contact you again,” said Jay.

“No need. Here, just wire it to my account,” said Lucretia as she sent him a text with her bank account number in it.

Jay took out his phone and looked the message over. “All right. I can do that. Pleasure doing business with you,” he said.

“Likewise,” said Lucretia.

“Hey, have you ever thought about going into the hitman business? I could use a new shooter. My partner left to pursue… other ventures,” said Jay.

“I haven’t thought about it, but it sounds like something I would be willing to do. What are you offering?” asked Lucretia.

“As in your share?” asked Jay.

“Yeah. I want eighty percent, on account of me risking my neck out there instead of you. Last time you got lucky- negotiating sixty-forty like that. I was fucking drunk when I agreed to that, but now, I want eighty,” said Lucretia.

“Eighty, huh?” asked Jay, furrowing his eyebrow.

“Hey, twenty percent of something is better than zero percent of nothing, wouldn’t you say?” said Lucretia with a snarky smirk.

Jay looked at Lucretia and smiled. “Well said. I guess I can do eighty-twenty… for now. I’ll keep in touch,” he said.

“If you say so,” said Lucretia while leaning back in her chair.

“What are you going to do now?” asked Jay.

Lucretia stood up and reached into her purse. “Me? I’m going to start living a little,” she said. She then took out her bank card and headed straight for the chip exchange.


	5. Alley Trash

After a year of operating as a freelance assassin and gun-for-hire, Lucretia finally adjusted to her new life as Devan Luck. Along the way, she perfected and refined her background and cover, playing the angle of a rich, philanthropist daughter to a self-made multi-millionaire who inherited his entire fortune. She donated a small part of her job earnings to various charities around the city just to keep up appearances. Once she had her angle finalized, she took care of any loose ends that knew the old Devan Luck, which mainly included her previous business partner, Jay, and a few other associates. After cleansing her rough start, she was able to start anew and began truly living the life she had always wanted, one of fancy living and total relaxation.

To continue funding her lifestyle, Lucretia kept taking on assassination jobs and other work that required the skill of a markswoman. She found a new handler to help her find work, a wolf in his mid-thirties named Fowler. Along with her new partner, she created an alter-ego to use while carrying out her missions. She didn’t want her questionable occupation to ruin her new life, so she used an alias and a specific outfit while on the job.

In the criminal underground, Lucretia was known as “Lady Luck” and sported a recognizable, yet inconspicuous outfit. Being fond of high-class attire, she chose to sport a customized suit made specifically for her. Her suit consisted of black dress slacks with small, red lines running down the sides; a dark-crimson blouse with a sold black tie; a black, thigh-long suit jacket with pouches inside and small red stripes going down the length of it; a black dress vest; and black, leather oxfords. Along with that, she had a few items to help conceal her identity including a black face mask; custom black shades with a slight red tint; black leather gloves; and a black fedora with a red stripe. Not only was her outfit fashionable, it was also tactical and functional. All the items of the suit were fire retardant and cut-proof. Her coat and vest could withstand small caliber handguns, but nothing more powerful than that. In addition to its safety features, the suit allowed air to circulate through the fabric and helped regulate temperature for maximum comfort.

Lucretia was sitting at her desk in her penthouse apartment, counting the money she had just earned from her last job. She sighed and placed the last stack of hundred-dollar bills off to the side. _‘Another job well done. I haven’t been to the bank in a while, and all this money is piling up in my safe. Guess I’d better go make a deposit then.’_

Lucretia got up from her seat and went into her bedroom, heading for the hidden wall safe in her closet. She typed in the password on the keypad and placed her hand to the scanner, using her key to open it up once she passed the first two security checks. Once it was open, she smiled to herself, seeing it filled from bottom to top with stacks of bills she had earned. Retrieving a nearby briefcase, she filled it with as much money as the case would fit, jam packing it to make as much room in her safe as she could for future earnings. Once it was full, she scrambled the lock on the briefcase and handcuffed it to her wrist before heading downstairs to her car. After she started the vehicle up, she temporarily uncuffed the briefcase and placed it in the seat next to her.

 _‘You know, this is all getting a bit… boring,’_ Lucretia thought to herself as she chose a song on her car’s custom stereo. _‘All I need is something different to change things up, you know? Something to keep me preoccupied between missions. But what?’_ She turned the ignition then backed out of her parking garage with the windows down and the radio blaring. Driving towards the bank, she tapped on the steering wheel, keeping in synch with the beat of the song as she pondered on what to do to preoccupy herself.

 _‘What did I used to do in-between missions back as a Crimzon Rose? I practiced. Went to the gym. Did drills. Filled out paper work. What else? Well, I also trained Devan.’_ Lucretia paused, thinking about her time with Devan back in the military. She was nearly driving on autopilot, her body moving on its on as she became lost in thought. _‘Now that I think about it, I actually did spend a lot of my free time mentoring her. I taught her how to shoot like a recon sniper. I taught her tips on how to handle and operate her rifle. I even taught the poor girl how to fight. Now those were the days. It was fun being a role model for someone lower than me. So what? Am I saying I should get an apprentice? Maybe. We’ll see.’_

As Lucretia arrived at the bank, she pulled into the adjacent underground parking lot, something that most of the buildings in the city had. Most of the spaces were filled, so she had to park in the far reaches of the lot, taking an empty spot in a dark corner. After shutting off her car, she secured the briefcase back to her wrist and stepped out, closing the door behind her. Just as she did, she felt the hard steel of a firearm pressed firmly against her back.

“Hand over the briefcase! Right now!” said the person behind her.

Lucretia couldn’t help but smile, surprised at the nerve someone had to mug her from behind. “Really? You’re going to mug me?” she asked with an unwavering tone.

The mugger turned Lucretia around and kept her at a distance, holding her pistol sideways like an amateur gangster. She was a mouse in her early twenties, dirty and wearing tattered clothes from living on the streets. “I- I ain’t foolin’ around! Give me the briefcase or I’ll bust a cap in your fancy ass!” she said.

The look of desperation on the mouse’s face said it all and Lucretia saw it clear as day. Lucretia was undeterred, standing fast while keeping a cool head. “You will? And then what? How do you plan on getting out of here with the briefcase anyway? There are guards at the parking garage entrance, and you’re certainly not considering going through the bank, are you?” she asked.

“Shut the hell up! I’ll figure it out,” said the mugger.

“I’m sure you will, but I doubt it. Besides, the safety’s on,” said Lucretia with a snide grin. Just as the girl turned the handgun to look at the safety, Lucretia swiftly dashed forward and grabbed a hold of the mugger’s hand, forcing it until the pistol was aimed back at the would-be-mugger’s face. “Now there are two ways this can go down. One, I make you pull the trigger and you blow your brains out; or two, you let go of the gun. What will it be?” asked Lucretia.

The mugger was trembling with fright as she looked down the barrel of her own gun. “I- If I let go, y- you won’t shoot me, will you?” she asked.

“I won’t,” said Lucretia.

The mouse thought it over for a second then released her grip on the gun, lowering her guard. “Aight, you win,” she said.

As the mugger stepped back, Lucretia took complete control of it and inspected it. “This thing is a piece of junk. It’s scuffed up and beaten to hell. And by the way, the safety was on,” said Lucretia before taking the gun and placing it on top of her car’s hood. She also undid the handcuffs around her wrist and placed the briefcase on the hood next to the gun. “If you want your gun back, and the five hundred and fifty thousand dollars in this here briefcase, then you’re going to have to beat me in a fight for it. Think you got what it takes to get passed me?” she asked with a smirk.

The girl sneered and raised her fists, preparing for a fight against Lucretia. “You ain’t nuthin’, you rich bitch!” she said, starting off with a reckless punch.

Seeing the attack, Lucretia simply smacked the blow away with a haughty grin on her face. The mugger followed up with a flurry of punches, but Lucretia skillfully dodged all her blows, still wearing the snooty smile while she fought. “C’mon, is that all you got, _street rat_?” she asked as she stopped one of the mouse’s punches with her hand.

The girl was shocked and tried to withdraw her hand back, but Lucretia had a firm grip on it. “The fuck!?” said the mouse as she began to lose her nerve.

Lucretia grinned and delivered a straight punch to the mouse’s solar plexus, pushing all the air out from her lungs. She let out a sneer as the mugger gasped for air, falling to her knees while clutching her abdomen with her hands. “You got spunk, kid. I’ll give you that. But other than that, you’re a pitiful excuse for a criminal. Sporting a gun but not knowing how to use it? Pathetic,” said Lucretia as she looked down on her opponent.

“Spare me,” said the mouse with a sneer, glaring at Lucretia as she stumbled on the ground after regaining her breath. “You don’t know what it’s like. You’re rich. You don’t know what desperate is. I’ve been living on the streets nearly my entire life, doing things, unspeakable things, just to stay alive. It’s all or nothing now. I’m out of money and have nowhere to go. No family, no friends. Nothing!” Once she regained her composure, she got back on her feet and lunged out at Lucretia, cocking her fist back for another punch.

Lucretia smirked at the poor girl and expertly parried the blow, following up with a couple punches to her midsection and chin. She then finished the combination with a savage sidekick straight to her target’s gut.

Unable to defend herself, the mouse was knocked back to the ground as she was kicked flat onto her back. She groaned and winced, clutching her abdomen again as the blow caused a greater amount of pain than before. The impact of the kick, coupled with her lingering hunger, kept her on the ground for good, tears nearly rolling down her cheeks as she whimpered in defeat.

Seeing her foe unable to continue the fight, Lucretia stepped over to the girl on the ground and reached into her jacket, drawing her suppressed sidearm and pointing it down at her. She scoffed at the defeated would-be-mugger, her finger poised on the trigger. Just as she was about to fire, she heard a weak voice come from the girl on the ground.

“Do it. Just- Just finish it,” said the mouse through the sobs, tears running down her cheeks.

Lucretia stayed her hand and sighed, finding herself in quite a quandary. She had some homeless girl in front of her asking for death. The girl’s life, and the choice of whether she lived or died, was in Lucretia’s hands. That wasn’t exactly something she was too unfamiliar with, but that time it was different. After taking a few moments to think the situation over, she holstered her gun and reached into her pocket, taking out her handcuffs. “Turn around,” she said, kneeling down towards the girl.

The mouse looked up with teary eyes as Lucretia loomed over her. “W- What? Are you… arresting me?” she asked.

“Not quite,” said Lucretia as she handcuffed the mouse’s hands behind her back. “Get up and get in,” she said, opening up the passenger door of her car for her.

“What’re you doing?” asked the mouse.

“Just get in the car,” said Lucretia after clearing everything from the hood of the car. She placed the briefcase in the trunk along with the robber’s gun after unloading it. She then kept her own gun in hand, keeping it aimed at the mouse as she got into the passenger seat. Once she was in, Lucretia closed the passenger door then got into the driver’s seat.

“So, why so eager to die?” asked Lucretia, her handgun still aimed at the girl.

The mouse winced from her empty stomach as her tears began to subside. “I’ve got nuthin’ left to live for,” she said.

“Have you ever thought about getting something called, I don’t know- a job?” asked Lucretia.

“Work? What can I possibly do? I haven’t even graduated high school,” said the mouse.

Lucretia flinched at that then asked, “Really? How much education do you have then?”

“I made it past sophomore year. I dropped out halfway through my junior year. That’s about it,” said the mouse.

Lucretia looked on, unimpressed and almost flustered by the girl’s situation. “Don’t worry; you’re not going to need math and history for what I have in mind for you,” she said, sighing on the inside. If she was going to go through with her plan, she was going to have to give the girl a lot more education and training than she thought.

“What you talkin’ about?” asked the mouse as she turned to meet Lucretia’s gaze.

Smirking, Lucretia adjusted in her seat as she turned to the girl. “How would you like to be my apprentice?” she asked.

“Apprentice? Doing what?” asked the mouse, wiping away the leftover tears from her face using her sleeve.

“Simple. Becoming one of the best assassins around,” said Lucretia.

At first, the mouse wasn’t quite sure she heard correctly. “Assassin? You? You don’t look like killer material to me,” she said.

Lucretia grinned with self-satisfaction. “And who’s the one that put you on your ass with no effort at all? Who’s the one who turned the tables on an armed assailant with nothing but her wit? Believe me, I wouldn’t lose a single second of sleep by killing you here. But that would be a waste. I see potential in you,” she said, partially lying while remaining optimistic with the hopes of gaining a new hobby to keep her entertained.

The mouse eyed Lucretia suspiciously, taking in her current situation into consideration. “Just who are you anyway?” she asked.

Lucretia scoffed at her before smirking conceitedly. “You don’t know who I am? Don’t even recognize me?” she asked, but the mouse just shook her head, completely clueless as to who she was. With a heavy sigh and shake of the head, Lucretia went on to educate her. “The famous Devan Luck? Inheritor of a fortune and an avid philanthropist? C’mon. Surely, you’ve heard of my generosity to the community in one of the… I don’t know, soup kitchens or something that you may have frequented?”

“Phila- what? What is that?” asked the mouse, still remaining unimpressed.

Lucretia sighed again, rolling her eyes at the girl’s ignorance. “It means I donate a lot of money to charities and stuff like that,” she said.

“So, what are you talking about being an assassin? You have tons of money already,” said the girl.

“Well, I need to fund my expensive tastes somehow, so I work as an assassin to keep my pockets full of money. This charity gig is just a cover. To the public, I’m just an innocent, happy-go-lucky millionaire; however, to those in-the-know within the criminal underworld, I’m the infamous assassin, Lady Luck. So far, my alter-ego seems to be working and nobody knows that Lady Luck and I are the same person… except you,” said Lucretia.

The mouse looked away from Lucretia, trying to comprehend everything that she was being told. “So why you tellin’ me all this?” she asked.

“Because now you have a decision to make. You can either take the job of becoming my apprentice, enjoying a luxurious lifestyle while working under me to make a name for yourself as an esteemed assassin; or, you can respectfully decline and I shoot you here then continue on with my day. So, what’s it gonna be?” asked Lucretia, gesturing with the gun in her hand for emphasis.

“Hmm… lemme think about that for a sec,” said the mouse as she looked to the gun then to Lucretia. As she was able to rest in the lavish car that she was just beginning to notice, she began to consider the offer. The notion of wealth, luxury, and the feeling of actually being worth something appealed to her senses. She gulped with anxiousness and promptly gave her answer. “Yeah, sure. I’ll be your apprentice.”

“I had a feeling you would’ve said that even without the death threats, am I right?” asked Lucretia with a satisfied smile, lowering the gun but not quite putting it away just yet.

“Well, you’re offering to feed me, clothe me, and house me, right? I can’t be your apprentice if I’m constantly on the verge of death,” said the girl.

“Don’t worry. As long as you do as I say and not piss me off, you’ll be set for life. Who knows? I might even give you a monthly stipend, depending on how well you do in your training,” said Lucretia.

The thought of money and fine living made the mouse smile, totally forgetting about her current situation. “I can’t believe this. And just this morning, I thought I was going to be dying in some back alley. But now I have a chance to continue living,” she said.

“Don’t get too comfortable. There’s still a chance that you’ll end up dead in some back alley if you don’t take your training seriously or piss me off, but for now, you’re my apprentice, and I will teach you to be a lethal killing machine of extreme poise and precision. By the way, what’s your name, kid?” asked Lucretia.

“The name’s Wendy, Wendy Shoemaker,” said the mouse.

“That’s Wendy Shoemaker, ma’am. Not only do I have to teach you how to be an assassin, but also a polite, young-lady of high-class living,” said Lucretia after a groan of loathing. “Okay, Wendy, just sit tight. I need to go take care of some business inside the bank.”

“You going to rob it?” asked Wendy.

Lucretia turned back to Wendy and shook her head. “Rob it? I’m going to make a deposit, you idiot. Do I look like I’m equipped to be taking on this kind of bank by myself? And I don’t rob banks, I kill people,” she said.

“Oh. Mind uncuffin’ me then?” asked Wendy.

“Fat chance. I just met you. For all I know, you could hotwire the car and ditch me, and that is unacceptable. Just sit tight. I’ll be back in no time,” said Lucretia before getting out and shutting the driver’s side door.

Lucretia retrieved the briefcase of money from the trunk, holstering her pistol before making her way inside the bank. As she walked into the bank, Wendy remained seated in the car, looking around the vehicle’s interior. After ten minutes or so had elapsed, Lucretia came back to the car, toting an empty briefcase. She stashed it in the trunk then came around to the driver’s side, getting into the vehicle.

“Glad to see the car in one piece. Guess you’re not totally untrustworthy,” said Lucretia while starting the car up.

Wendy scoffed at Lucretia, sitting upright in her seat. “What’d ya mean by that?” she asked, giving her a cross look.

Lucretia shrugged, glancing over at Wendy. “Just glad you didn’t cross me as soon as I was gone. It would’ve been a bother to track you down and kill you for escaping. I can’t have people knowing my secret now, can I? But you didn’t, so good for you,” she said.

“Yeah, well I can’t exactly do much with my hands cuffed behind my back,” said Wendy.

Lucretia chuckled and put her key into the car’s ignition, but didn’t start it up yet. “While I was in the bank, I made an account that you can use for your own purposes. I also got you a debit card so you can make purchases on your own. Don’t take this lightly, though. I still have control over your account, but you can still use the card to pay for things. I didn’t give you complete ownership of it, so you can’t just withdrawal all the money and ditch me. That would be very… unwise. Am I clear?” she said.

“…yes,” said Wendy.

“Yes what?” asked Lucretia as she glared at Wendy.

“Yes… ma’am. But I have no money. What do I need a bank account and card for?” asked Wendy.

“To kick start your new life, I gave you a thousand dollars to start off with. As you train with me and fulfill your duties, you’ll get a monthly stipend and a share of any contract that we collaborate on. In the beginning, you won’t be doing any work, but as you show me that you can handle yourself, I might bring you along for the experience,” said Lucretia.

Wendy’s face beamed with delight. “A thousand credits! Thank you so much, ma’am,” she said.

“No problem, Kid,” said Lucretia.

“I’m twenty. I’m not a kid,” said Wendy.

“You’re a kid in my eyes. Prove me otherwise, and I’ll stop calling you that,” said Lucretia.

Wendy sat back in her seat, still cuffed and without her seatbelt fastened. Her stomach began to rumble, but she tried to keep that fact to herself. “So, where’re we goin’?” she asked, eager to start her tutelage underneath Lucretia, the self-proclaimed assassin aficionado.

Lucretia remained in her seat, planning out what she wanted to do with Wendy first. There were so many things she needed to do to get Wendy up to trainee material. She figured that she needed to feed the poor girl first before moving on to anything else. Wendy looked as if she could keel over at any second.

“You’ll see,” said Lucretia as she pulled out a key from her coat pocket. “Promise to behave and I’ll remove the handcuffs.”

Wendy let out a sigh and positioned herself so that her back was facing Lucretia. “I promise,” she said.

“Good,” said Lucretia as she removed the handcuffs from Wendy’s wrists. “Now just sit back and relax,” she said, putting the car in reverse and backing out of her sparking spot.

Once the car was on the main street, Wendy couldn’t help but look out the window, seeing the city from a new point of view which surprisingly amazed her. Having been so used to walking the back alleys and seeing the city from the gutters and sidewalks, she wasn’t able to appreciate her surroundings. But now that she was cruising in a luxury sedan, she was able to see the lavish atmosphere of the inner city, spotting the neon lights on the high-rise buildings and the décor of the businesses they passed.

While Wendy was lost in admiring the city from the seat of a luxury car, Lucretia pulled into a fast-food restaurant’s parking lot and parked. She shut off the engine then glanced to her right. “You hungry?” asked Lucretia with a chill expression.

Upon hearing the question, Wendy’s stomach grumbled which caused her to hold her gut in discomfort. “…I’m starving,” she said, looking to Lucretia with pleading eyes.

Lucretia chuckled and opened her side’s car door. “C’mon. Let’s satiate that hunger of yours then,” she said as she got out of the vehicle.

The notion of eating motivated Wendy to move with a sense of purpose. Nothing else had in the past few months of her life, so Lucretia had her full attention. A light lit up in her eyes as she saw exactly which chain of restaurants they were at. It was a burger joint and one of her favorites for as long as she could remember. There was a particular sandwich which she favored the most, though, she wasn’t sure if the restaurant even served it anymore. It had been a while since she last visited one of the establishments, being a poor street-rat and all.

Wendy eagerly followed Lucretia inside, nearly going weak in the knees as her nostrils were filled with the luscious aroma of charbroiled burgers. Seeing the menu laid out for viewing above the registers, she hurried over and looked for her favorite meal. Getting her hopes up, she perused the menu choices, skimming for her favorite one. She was about to give up hope as she came close to finish looking it over, but to her delight, she finally spotted it under the “dollar” menu. As Lucretia was deciding on what to get herself, Wendy turned to her with anticipation.

“I know what I want,” said Wendy impatiently with a smile, as if she were a child choosing a toy for her birthday.

Lucretia scoffed and looked to the girl. “And what makes you think you get a say on what you’re getting?” she said with a conceited smirk.

Upon hearing that, Wendy’s heart sank on the inside, but she didn’t show it and only grimaced. “What do you mean? I have my own money now. I can buy whatever I want,” she said.

“Until you can prove that you’re responsible enough, I’ll be approving every purchase you make with _your_ money,” said Lucretia.

Wendy grumbled under her breath. “Then what can I get?” she asked through gritted teeth.

Seeing Wendy’s disappointment was refreshing. Lucretia had to condition her new apprentice and get her used to the feeling of not always getting what she wanted. Sometimes, she just had to deal with things as they were. Looking to the menu, she wanted to spend the least amount of money on Wendy as possible; however, in the back of her mind, she knew she was going to get her money back one way or another, so why not try and appeal to Wendy’s good side before laying down the hammer.

“I’m just kidding. You can get whatever you want. Just don’t get used to it,” said Lucretia, a slight smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth.

After hearing that, Wendy loosened up a bit, almost unsure of whether heard correctly or not. “Anything?” she asked, still skeptical about Lucretia’s sincerity.

Lucretia let out a sigh and looked to the register. “If you’re not going to order, then I guess I will,” she said, taking a step forward.

Swallowing her nervousness, Wendy took her place in front of the register ahead of Lucretia. Lucretia crossed her arms and waited patiently, wondering what Wendy was going to get. She just hoped Wendy wouldn’t let her stomach do all the talking and order the entire menu.

“What would you like?” asked the employee.

Wendy gulped again, her mouth starting to salivate at all the thoughts of tasty delights she was about to sample. “Uh, could I get…,” she said, taking a moment to glance the menu over once more before giving her order. “…the mushroom and swiss burger. Yeah- like five of them,” she said with an expectant grin.

“Five? There’s no way you can eat all those,” said Lucretia from behind as she stepped closer to Wendy.

Wendy looked over her shoulder at Lucretia with a haughty expression. “Just watch me. And I’m just getting’ started, so chill out, Fancy Pants. I’m sure you’ll have no problem coverin’ the bill,” she said before turning back to the register with a confident smirk.

Lucretia scowled and promptly confronted Wendy about her temporary lapse of better judgment. She couldn’t let her get too out of hand, so she had to lay down the law and assert her authority. She pulled out her phone and jammed it against Wendy’s back, leaning in close to her. “You disrespect me like that again and I won’t think twice about ending you. You get me?” she said, whispering into her ear with a firm tone.

Wendy immediately froze up, thinking Lucretia had pulled out her gun and pressed against her back. She didn’t bother looking behind her and was too paralyzed with fright to respond. Finally, she managed to get out a few words. “S- Sorry, ma’am. I- I won’t disrespect you again,” she said, her heart beating fast.

Delighted by the girl’s reaction, Lucretia withdrew and pocket her phone. “Good. Now… continue. You’re not the only one here who’s hungry,” she said, stepping back to give Wendy some space.

“You’re going to get something from here as well?” asked Wendy.

Lucretia scoffed, moving alongside her in front of the register. “Just because I live a lavish lifestyle of expensive tastes and rare commodities, doesn’t mean I don’t like the simple things every now and then,” she said. Before becoming a millionaire, she had her fair share of cheap, fast-food. She missed the flavor, so she figured she might as well indulge her appetite while she was there.

Wendy turned back to the employee at the register and continued ordering, feeling pressured by Lucretia standing beside her and judging her every decision. “Um… can I also get a large onion rings and a large drink?” she asked, her stomach beginning to rumble again.

The clerk shrugged off the awkwardness that just occurred and continued his job as if nothing had happened. “Is there anything else you want? Perhaps I could interest you in some dessert?” he asked. He then saw Lucretia giving him a harsh look for even putting the idea of more food in Wendy’s head.

Wendy thought it over but wasn’t really fond of sweets, so she declined, much to Lucretia’s satisfaction. “No, I think that’s it,” she said. After Wendy was done ordering and had her drink cup, she paid using her new bank card.

Lucretia then stepped up to order her own meal. She decided to go with the double cheeseburger with all the fixings, along with a side of onion rings and a soft drink. When it came time to pay, Lucretia sighed and got out her wallet, seeing the inflated total due to Wendy’s over indulgence. She took out one of her credit cards and handed it over, allowing the employee to process the purchase.

After paying for the food, Lucretia took her cup and headed to the drink dispensers. Since she hadn’t eaten fast-food in a while, she decided to splurge and filled her cup with a cherry flavored soda product, something she tried to avoid in order to keep her figure in check. She usually had either water or alcohol with her fancy meals anyway.

Wendy opted to get some cola then found a spot to sit at with Lucretia, waiting for their food to be called by once it was ready for pickup. She had nearly finished half her drink before they had even sat down; she was just so thirsty. The sweet taste of the soda’s syrup and the chill from the ice cubes were a refreshing feeling, putting her at ease; though, she was still very hungry.

“So, tell me about yourself,” said Lucretia as she focused on Wendy.

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Wendy stopped sipping her drink and swallowed whatever was in her mouth. “Uh, wha do you wanna know?” she asked.

Lucretia placed her hands on the table, interlocking her fingers as her attention remained fixed on the person in front of her. “Let’s start with your background. Any family?” she asked, gauging how hard it was going to be to train her based on her responses.

The question caused Wendy to deflate a little, wanting to avoid the question entirely. “There’s not much to say,” she said, looking away from Lucretia.

“Why? They dead?” asked Lucretia with such an insensitive tone.

Before Wendy could answer, their orders were called out by one of the employees. Lucretia got up and retrieved both trays, looking at the mountain of food on Wendy’s with uncertainty. She placed her own tray on the table in front of her seat and Wendy’s in front of her.

“I bet you can’t eat all of that,” said Lucretia as she sat down. “You’d be crazy to finish it, especially with that scrawny body of yours. That’s just one of many things we need to fix.”

Seeing the food in front of her, Wendy was almost lost in a trance and barely caught what Lucretia had said. “Pfft, you make it sound like being skinny is a bad thing,” she said as she took the first burger and began unwrapping it. “Would you rather me be a fat lard? Yeah. That’ll make the best assassin.”

“There’s a difference between being thin and in-shape and only skin and bones. I bet that if you fire any of the rifles in my armory, it’ll shatter your shoulder. Or if you fire any of the handguns I got, it’d probably fly right out of your hands,” said Lucretia, gesturing to Wendy with an onion ring in her hand before popping it in her mouth.

As Lucretia was talking, Wendy had already begun digging into her food. She licked her lips in anticipation before taking her first bite, and when she did, her eyes rolled back in ecstasy as she savored the explosion of flavors in her mouth. Memories of her first experience with the sandwich filled her head as she swallowed the tiny morsel, sighing with relief as she took the first step to satisfying her hunger. She took another bite, then another, filling her mouth nearly to capacity with burger. She chewed her food the bare minimum amount before swallowing to make room for more. Every now and then, she took a long draw of her soda before stuffing her face again. Once she had a taste of her food, she looked to Lucretia.

“So you gonna teach me to shoot?” asked Wendy.

Lucretia smirked, diverting her attention from her burger to Wendy. “Oh, I’ll teach you more than just that,” she said before taking another hearty bite of her sandwich. “Being able to shoot is the least of your worries. Shooting well and being able to kill with precision, then escape undetected is what I will teach you… among other things, but that’s the main one,” she said.

Wendy sat there, soaking in the thought of having to kill another person. She then looked to her burger and took a bite, pausing after swallowing it.

Seeing Wendy abruptly stop eating, Lucretia popped the last piece of her burger into her mouth and grabbed a hold of her drink. “What’s the matter?” she asked after swallowing.

Wendy let out a content sigh and patted her stomach, looking embarrassingly at the remainder of her food. “…I’m full,” she said before burping out loud.

Lucretia winced in revulsion at Wendy’s repulsive act, pinching the bridge of her nose in disappointment. “You only finished one and a half burgers and barely touched your onion rings,” she said, glaring at the girl.

“So? I’m just too stuffed to continue,” said Wendy, about to go into a food coma.

“I knew you couldn’t finish it all. But at least we know what you’re eating for dinner,” said Lucretia as she began cleaning up her area. “Now c’mon. Put it all in that bag. We’ve got a couple more stops to make before we head home.”

Wendy did as she was told, moving groggily as she put the remainder of her food in a take-out bag. “Home? And where’s that?” she asked, taking her bag in hand.

Lucretia took both trays and emptied the trash into a trash bin before heading to the exit. “You’ll see. Now let’s go,” she said, holding the door open for Wendy before going back to the car.

“So, where we goin’ next?” asked Wendy as she sat in the passenger’s seat.

“We’re going to get you some new threads. Can’t have you tagging along looking like crap,” said Lucretia as she began to drive.

“You gonna pay for those too?” asked Wendy, smiling as she smelled the food from her take-out bag.

“For the time being. But once we get home, I’m taking it out of your account… as well as the food from earlier. There’s a reason I’m keeping these receipts, you know,” said Lucretia as she focused on driving. “By the way, what’re your sizes?”

Wendy popped an onion ring in her mouth and mewled with joy. “My sizes?” she asked as she chewed the morsel.

“You know- shirt size, pants size?” asked Lucretia as she briefly glanced at Wendy.

“Why do you wanna know? I can pick out stuff on my own,” said Wendy.

Lucretia snickered, looking back to the road. “Ha! You think I’m going to let you pick out your own clothes? You’re basically an extension of my own image now, so when people see you, they see me. I can’t have my apprentice strutting around in baggy cargo pants, tank-tops, and snap-back hats,” she said.

“So, you gonna get me a suit like yours or somethin’?” said Wendy as she pouted slightly. “And just cuz I’m poor and live on the streets, doesn’t mean I’m into that kinda stuff.”

“Is that sarcasm I detect in your voice?” asked Lucretia as she moved her jacket aside with one hand, revealing her holstered pistol.

Wendy gulped and immediately apologized. “Uh, no. Sorry,” she said as she held her bag of food close.

Lucretia smirked and placed her hand back on the wheel. “In case you’re worried about what I’m getting for you, don’t be. It’ll be classy and fashionable, so no need to fret. You’ll be looking like a refined woman yet. And- you’ll also need a shower, big time. You smell… really badly,” she said, holding her nose in jest.

Hearing that she smelled, Wendy grew red in the cheeks from embarrassment, sniffing at herself. “I don’t have a shower, so of course I’m gonna stink. Geez,” she said, becoming more self-conscious by the second.

Lucretia chuckled at the young girl’s uneasiness. “Don’t worry. We’ll take care of that too,” she said.

Once they got to the store in mind, Lucretia parked the car and got out, followed by Wendy. After the two of them proceeded inside, Wendy was in awe at all the nice clothes that were in the store. They were in an upper-class clothes store, its merchandise ranging from elegant dresses to blazers and slacks. Lucretia was a frequent customer and knew exactly where to look.

“Wow, look at all this stuff,” said Wendy as she browsed through all the merchandise on the racks.

“C’mon. We’ve got to get you fitted so we can get your sizes,” said Lucretia. “We need to pick you out garments that’ll fit just right and not sag or feel too snug. And based on what I can see on you, you’ve got both going on.” Looking to Wendy, she could see that her pants were a size or two too big, barely resting on her skinny hips and without a belt. Her undershirt was too small with her midsection showing, and her hoodie was also a tad too small, the sleeves unable to fully cover her wrists. Lucretia didn’t even want to fathom a guess as to how well Wendy’s tattered sneakers fit her, the tape patch ups and worn out soles making it hard to discern the size.

After looking Wendy over, Lucretia led her to the back of the establishment where the owners had a fitting area set up. Having visited the store numerous times, Lucretia had grown quite acquainted with the owners and its employees. As Lucretia approached, one of the owners, an older man, got up to greet her.

“Ah, Ms. Luck. Good to see you again. What could I interest you in to-,” said the old man, but then he noticed Wendy staring at some merchandise on the racks and changed demeanors in an instant. “Hey! You can’t be in here! Shoo before I call the cops!” he said, motioning with his hands for her to leave.

Hearing the old man shooing her away, Wendy gave him a confrontive look and stood her ground. “You kiddin’ me? Buzz off, old man,” she said, putting up a tough girl front.

Before a fight broke out, Lucretia snapped her fingers at Wendy, motioning for her to stand down. She then looked to the old man and approached him, putting him at ease. “Don’t worry about her; she’s with me,” she said in a casual manner.

The old man gave Wendy one last sour look before diverting his attention to Lucretia. “She is? I don’t understand,” he said.

Lucretia smirked and moved closer to the elderly man, wrapping an arm around his back and placing a hand on his shoulder. “I’m piloting a new sort of… mentoring program. Yeah. This poor girl was homeless and I picked her up off the streets to test things out, and if things go well, I’ll be helping more poor and unfortunate souls get control of their lives,” she said.

The old man nodded his head in approval, convinced by the somewhat true explanation. “Oh, I see. That’s so kind of you, Ms. Luck. The missus and I are constantly talking about how you’re always so charitable and kind to the people of this city,” he said.

“Yeah, well- I try,” said Lucretia, feigning a genuine smile that she’d perfected since assuming her new identity.

Wendy was surprised as she witnessed Lucretia acting so nice and friendly, knowing full well what she was really like. She just crossed her arms and grimaced, waiting to be addressed before opening her mouth again.

With a chuckle, the old man patted Lucretia on the back and went over to his desk. “So, what can I do for you? I’m guessing you’re not here for yourself, but instead the girl?” he asked.

“That’s right. Wendy here needs some new threads, and I need some measurements so I can pick out something nice for her,” said Lucretia as she waved Wendy over. Wendy rolled her eyes and went over to her, standing beside her as they looked to the old man. “Go on. Introduce yourself,” said Lucretia to Wendy as a slight smug smirk appeared on her face.

Wendy sighed and crossed her arms. “Wendy Shoemaker,” she said, not caring much for the old man based on how he treated her initially.

“David,” said the old man with a subdued tone, easing up on her since she was with Lucretia, one of his most valued customers. “Well then, welcome to Debutante. As your benefactor here can attest to, we’re very good at fitting women to the latest styles in fashion. We’ll get you looking fancy in no time,” he said while leading Wendy over to the fitting station.

As Wendy looked over her shoulder with a worried look, Lucretia gave her a wave of reassurance. “Don’t worry. You’re in good hands. Just find me around the store when you’re done,” said Lucretia before motioning David over. As he came over, Lucretia spoke softly so Wendy couldn’t hear. “Apologies in advance for the stench. She’s straight off the streets,” she said.

David sighed with annoyance but gave a nod. “It’s not a problem, ma’am. I’ll take good care of her as if I were servicing you,” he said.

“Good. Do a good job and I’ll throw in a hefty tip,” said Lucretia as she gave him a wink. She then backed away and looked to Wendy. “Behave yourself! Just do what you’re told and there shouldn’t be any problems,” she said to her.

Wendy rolled her eyes as she stood atop the fitting stage, waiting for David to come back over.

David gave a smile to Lucretia and retrieved his tailoring kit. “Will do,” he said before going over and repositioning Wendy on the pedestal.

While Wendy was getting fitted, Lucretia decided to browse around and see if there was anything new that struck her fancy. She mainly stayed in the women’s business section, looking over the blouses and blazers that professional women usually wore. She also sampled the other women’s sections as well, keeping an eye out for potential items for Wendy.

After about thirty minutes or so, Wendy came by after getting her measurements from David. Lucretia was in the vests section, taking particular interest in one of the items on display. As Wendy approached her, Lucretia put back the vest she was inspecting and turned to her. “So, what we got?” she asked.

“Here,” said Wendy as she handed over a piece of paper with all her sizes on it.

Lucretia took it and looked it over. “Hmmm… not surprising. I can work with this. Though, we’ll be getting a size slightly bigger. It’ll make sense when we start putting meat on those pathetic things you call arms and legs,” she said while looking Wendy over.

“Gee, thanks… I guess,” said Wendy, glancing away as she put her hands in her pockets.

“Now let’s get this show on the road. I’ve already scoped out some stuff for you while I was waiting,” said Lucretia as she led the way.

Wendy groaned and followed after her, just wanting to lie down and take a nap after stuffing herself during lunch. “Better be good…,” she said.

With Wendy’s sizes on a handy-dandy cheat sheet, Lucretia worked fast to pick out a nice tan turtleneck shirt coupled with a black jacket. She also picked up a tan, knee-length skirt and black leather riding boots to compliment the overall ensemble. To finish it all off, Lucretia picked out a nice watch and pair of sunglasses for Wendy. As they went along, Wendy gave an approving nod at Lucretia’s choices, actually eager to try it all on. Once everything was gathered, Lucretia went over to the checkout counter to pay for it all.

“Shouldn’t I try it all on first?” asked Wendy as they approached the register.

“Nah. I trust David’s measurements, so they should all fit just fine. Might be a bit loose at first, but you’ll grow into them as time goes on,” said Lucretia as she placed Wendy’s outfit on the counter. “I’m sure it will all look nice together. I have a sort of eye for these kinds of things. Besides, you’re all dirty and it’d be a shame to ruin your new clothes.” As she paid for the clothing using Wendy’s bank card, she included a hefty tip for the services provided. With bags in hand, which she made Wendy carry, they headed back to the car and stashed it all in the trunk.

After yawning, Wendy looked to Lucretia as they drove to their next destination. “So, we got food, and now clothes. What’s next?” she asked.

“Some essentials. I don’t have extra toiletries for you and I hate sharing, so you’re going to need to pick some stuff up when we get there,” said Lucretia as she reached into her coat pocket. “Here. It’s a list of the things you’ll need.”

Wendy took the list and looked it over. “What? You not comin’?” she asked.

“What’s the matter? Need someone to hold your hand?” said Lucretia. “No. I’ve got some things I need to get myself, so just find me when you’re done.”

When they got to the department store, they both got out and headed inside. Upon entering, they both went their separate ways to carry out their own errands. Seeing Lucretia walk away, Wendy suddenly felt overwhelmed and helpless. She hadn’t stepped inside a department store in a long time, especially one full of goods of all sorts, and it was all at her fingertips. She didn’t exactly know where to begin as she smiled to herself. After getting a hold of herself, she took the list and looked it over again.

“Let’s see. I need to get a toothbrush, toothpaste, body wash, shampoo… Well, I guess I should start over here then,” said Wendy to herself. She grabbed a cart and made her way over to the Health and Beauty section.

While Wendy was taking care of the list she was given, Lucretia was shopping over in the Home Office section. She glanced over the selections each aisle had to offer, picking out an item every so often and placing it in her shopping basket. She was planning to start a personnel file on Wendy, grabbing folders and other items necessary for filing all the information. She missed having information on personnel readily available and compiled all in one easy and accessible place. As a result, she decided to create a file on Wendy from scratch, putting in everything she could gather on the girl. The hard copy file was just a formality from her military days, just one of the many habits she hadn’t been able to kick; in fact, she preferred the physical copy over a digital database.

Once Lucretia was done, she looked around and found Wendy. By then, Wendy had found everything on her list, so they went to pay for their items. Lucretia double-checked the items in Wendy’s cart, making sure she had everything; she didn’t feel like make a second trip back in the event that she forgot something. After Lucretia paid for everything using hers and Wendy’s bank cards, they went back to the car and stashed everything in the trunk. With Wendy situated in the passenger seat, Lucretia started the car up and began driving back home.


	6. Let’s Get Down to Business

“Hey, wake up,” said Lucretia as she snapped her fingers in front of Wendy’s face.

Wendy slowly opened her eyes after taking a nap. “Where are we?” she asked.

“Home. For me… and for you,” said Lucretia. She then got out of the car and headed around to the trunk to open it up. “C’mon, it looks like you could use a shower.”

Carrying her leftovers from lunch in one hand, Wendy got out of the car and joined Lucretia by the trunk. “A shower? I haven’t had a shower in days,” she said.

“I guess that explains the smell,” said Lucretia with disgusted look. She and Wendy grabbed their bags then left the garage, heading inside the tower.

“Good afternoon, Ms. Luck. How are you today?” asked one of the tower staff in the lobby. He then member gave Lucretia an odd look as he saw Wendy following her, wearing tattered clothes, looking messy, and smelling foul.

“Splendid. Thanks,” said Lucretia as she approached her personal elevator. She slid her keycard into the key slot and waited for the doors to open.

“You have your own elevator?” asked Wendy.

“Yes, I do. It leads straight to the penthouse and only I can access it,” said Lucretia while getting on the elevator.

“You live in the penthouse!? That is so cool,” said Wendy, grinning with anticipation as she followed after Lucretia.

Lucretia couldn’t help but smile also. Wendy’s eagerness and youthful enthusiasm reminded her of her old partner. She was glad that she crossed paths with Wendy, hopeful that her new protégé would prove herself and become a successful assassin like herself. Before they reached her apartment, however, there were a few things she had to discuss first.

“Okay, Wendy, before you go exploring the place, let me lay down some ground rules,” said Lucretia as she turned to the girl. “Number one, don’t go in my bedroom. EVER. That is my personal sanctuary and you’re not allowed inside. Number two, don’t touch anything without my express permission first, at least, not until you’ve earned my complete trust. And number three, you’re not allowed to leave the penthouse under any circumstances unless you’re escorted by me or have earned my trust. In addition to those three rules, do exercise common courtesy. By that, I mean clean up after yourself. It’s only fair, since you are living in my home. Any questions?”

“No, ma’am. Don’t worry,” said Wendy.

After exiting the elevator and making it through the front door, Wendy was overwhelmed with awe at the sight of Lucretia’s luxurious home. “This is so fancy lookin’! Everything is so shiny and clean,” she said while walking around the foyer.

“You can have the auxiliary bedroom to yourself, but don’t get too comfortable. We’re leaving in an hour,” said Lucretia as she headed over to the mini-bar for a quick drink.

“What for? Where’re we goin’?” asked Wendy as she placed her fast-food leftovers on the kitchen counter.

“We’re headed to my mansion on Alkion,” said Lucretia.

“You have a mansion!? This keeps getting better and better. Why do you have a mansion?” asked Wendy.

“It’s actually more like a very big house than a mansion. It’s where I train and practice for missions. It’s also my little paradise away from the craziness of this city. We’re going to head there to see what you got, which is probably not much by what you showed me earlier,” said Lucretia.

“Sweet! I can’t wait to get started,” said Wendy.

“Splendid. Now, take a shower. I’d rather not have to spend the flight there stuck with your disgusting odor. We’ll leave once you’re done,” said Lucretia.

“Awesome. I’ll try not to take too long,” said Wendy as she gathered her recently bought toiletries. “Can I get dressed in my new digs after I’m done?”

“No. Just wash your current clothes in the PAC and get dressed back in those. I assume you know how to use one?” asked Lucretia.

“I can figure it out,” said Wendy.

“Just don’t break it. If you need help, just let me know,” said Lucretia.

“So how come I have to wear my old stuff when I have this killer new outfit?” asked Wendy.

“You’ll need to be in comfortable clothing for what I have in store for you. You’ll just get your new clothes ruined,” said Lucretia.

Wendy just gave her an apprehensive look then gave a nod. “Uh, all right,” she said before heading to the bathroom in the auxiliary bedroom.

While Wendy was getting freshened up, Lucretia had a few shots of whiskey before getting her things together for the trip.

After taking her shower and washing whatever clothes she had on, Wendy met Lucretia in the foyer, all ready to go. She packed her toiletries and new clothes into a bag along with her leftovers from lunch. Lucretia had a luggage bag packed along with a smaller bag as well. “What’s with the bags?” asked Wendy.

“We’re going to be staying on Alkion for a week or so during your crash course in becoming an assassin,” said Lucretia as she grabbed her bags and opened her door. “C’mon, let’s get a move on. I want to get there before the night is over.”

Wendy acknowledged and followed her out of the apartment, taking her bag with her. As they were driving to the spaceport, she continued to admire the city through a new lens, one of high-class living. The neon lights blurred as they sped by each of the casinos and other buildings on the main strip, adding to the alluring nightlife of the filthy rich.

Lucretia smiled as she looked over to see Wendy so entranced by her surroundings, ones that she had grown so used to. “What’s the matter? It’ like you’ve never seen the city before,” she said.

“Not like this. I’m usually lying in some back alley or trying to find something to eat in the bad side. I’ve never been to this part of the city before,” said Wendy.

“Well get used to it. From now on, I’m going to show you what real living is,” said Lucretia with a smile. Not before long, they arrived at the spaceport and made their way inside the terminal, heading to where her ship was parked.

“This is your ship!? It’s so sleek looking!” said Wendy as they walked onto the platform.

“Yup. That’s my baby. Got it custom fitted with a bunch of cool stuff a few months ago,” said Lucretia as she unlocked the outer hatch and stepped in.

“Wow,” said Wendy as she made her way inside, taking a seat in the small compartment right behind the cockpit.

Once Wendy was onboard, Lucretia closed the outer hatch before moving into the cockpit to begin pre-flight procedure. “Have you ever flown in a starship before?” asked Lucretia.

“No way. I’ve lived here all my life,” said Wendy.

“Aren’t you afraid to being flying into space?” asked Lucretia.

“Nope. I’m excited,” said Wendy, strapping herself into her seat.

“Good. We’ll be outta here in a second. Just need to fire up the engines,” said Lucretia before prepping the ship for launch. She ignited the engines and turned on the nav computer, selecting Alkion from her list of frequently visited destinations. Once she was ready, she piloted the ship from the ground and proceeded into space.

As the ship left the ground, Wendy gripped the armrests of her chair in anticipation. She remained seated firmly in her seat, her head and body pressed firmly against the back of her chair. She closed her eyes and focused on the vibrations from the ship’s engines. As she felt the ship start to ascend, she opened her eyes and tried to see out the cockpit window, but she was too far back to see much of anything.

Before buying her ship, Lucretia took lessons to pilot small ships like hers, so she was used to flying by then. Once she was far enough away from the planet, she engaged the hyperdrive and jumped to Alkion. Within a few minutes, they arrived at their destination, and she continued to fly towards the planet, navigating to where her home was. As she got pulled in by the planet’s gravity, she continued to head straight through the atmosphere and into the clouds.

“So, what is this planet again? Alkion?” asked Wendy.

“Yeah. The planet is still under VCG control, but there isn’t much on it yet. It’s relatively new and I got a sweet deal on the property I have. They were practically giving it all away. There it is in the distance. See it?” said Lucretia.

Wendy undid her safety harness and got up, heading over to the cockpit and peering out the windshield. In the distance, she saw Lucretia’s large house situated on the fifty-acre property, which was fenced off by an industrial-strength, ten-foot high steel fence in the shape of a rectangle. The fence had an empty, concrete moat in front of it and was topped off with barbed wire to deter any unwanted guests. The property was monitored by a top-of-the-line security system, including cameras and auto-turrets. At each corner of the property, and at every center point of the fence, there was a GEM-III turret stationed there, the same ones used in the metropolitan cities. The turrets used .50 caliber ammunition and were motion activated. Thankfully, the turrets’ AI was smart enough to distinguish a hostile from a regular person or wildlife, so there were little to no accidents.

“This is where you do all your training?” asked Wendy.

“Yeah. I have my own private shooting range for shooting rifles and handguns. Inside the house, I have my own training dojo and workout room in the basement. I also store the majority of my gear and weapons here for safe keeping. I rarely keep anything relating to ‘Lady Luck’ at my penthouse, just to be safe. This place is miles away from the nearest city and any law enforcement that might be lurking around, so it’s the ideal place to conduct my business from,” said Lucretia.

“Oh, cool. What kinda guns you got?” asked Wendy.

“Quite a few. You’ll see when we get to the armory,” said Lucretia with a smile as she glanced over to Wendy.

As the ship got closer to the house, Lucretia hovered around a bit before setting the ship down on the landing pad behind the house. She secured the ship then grabbed her bags before opening the outer hatch. After Wendy got out, Lucretia closed the hatch and locked the ship.

“Welcome to the Luck Estate,” said Lucretia as she walked with Wendy to back door of the house.

The inside of the mansion looked totally different from the building’s older, rustic exterior. The décor and all the furniture inside the house were modern in style, appearing technologically sleek and stylish. The floor consisted of smooth, black tiling while the walls and ceiling made from white, glossy panels. The ambient, white ceiling lights illuminated the house fully, giving a vivid feel of modern living. All of the interfaces for the electronics were holo-panels and some of the utilities were even compatible with voice commands.

“This is so cool! How come you don’t live here?” asked Wendy.

“Because the nearest casino is an hour drive away from here. Not to mention all the stores and restaurants too. Those are kinda important to a person like me. C’mon, I’ll show you to your room,” said Lucretia, leading the way into the house.

As they were walking, Lucretia continued to talk about her house’s nifty features. “The house is totally self-sufficient, which is why I don’t need to depend on the city for my utilities. The electricity comes from a power generator secluded away on the lot. It takes in solar energy and wind energy, storing it away until I need to use some electricity. It’s all very technical and I leave it to the technicians to deal with, but they assured me that it’s good for life. Anyway, along with my own power source, I have my own water purification system and sewage treatment,” she said as they strolled through the halls and came to an elevator. It traversed the mansion’s four floors, including the basement and underground parking garage.

“You have an elevator in your house!?” asked Wendy, amazed yet again at what Lucretia’s house had to offer.

“Of course. You don’t expect a lady of luxury to use the stairs now, do you? Besides, this allows me to move heavy objects from floor to floor without having to hire extra help, or breaking my back trying to use the main foyer stairs for that matter,” said Lucretia.

Once they were on the third floor where the bedrooms were, Lucretia walked down the hallway and stopped outside Wendy’s room. “Okay, Wendy, this is your room. The same rules apply here as they did at the penthouse. My room is down the hall, so don’t even think about going there,” she said.

“Thanks, Ms. Luck. This is so cool, ma’am. I can’t believe I have two rooms, but I don’t have anything to put in them,” said Wendy.

“Yeah, we’ll go shopping for stuff later, but before that, we’re going to have to do a little training first. Meet me in the kitchen in thirty minutes. I’m going to washup and change before we start. Feel free to look around, but don’t touch anything. I’ll know if you do,” said Lucretia, pointing to one of the many security cameras spread throughout the house. Wendy gave a nervous smile and nodded in acknowledgement before moving into her room to explore.

Once Lucretia had freshened up in the bathroom and changed into her training outfit, she went back to the kitchen to await Wendy’s arrival. To her surprise, she was already waiting for her there. “Ah, good to see that you’re punctual. One less thing I have to get you accustomed to,” said Lucretia.

“Actually, I wanted to get a drink, but then I remembered I wasn’t supposed to touch anything without asking you first,” said Wendy.

“I’m glad you remembered the rules. Cups are in there and you get some water from the fridge. When you’re ready, we can head on down to get a head start,” said Lucretia.

Wendy gave a nod and quickly got something to drink before following Lucretia to the basement. She continued to admire Lucretia’s abode as they continued through its fancy hallways. Once the elevator reached the bottom, the doors opened to reveal a workout room, complete with all the standard types of exercise machines and various weights. To their right, one of the walls was completely covered in mirrors and had padded mats in front of it for doing calisthenics and weight lifting. Nearby, there was an area for combat training that had kicking and punching bags. To their left, the entire wall was made of glass which allowed them to see all the vehicles in the underground parking garage. Unlike the one in the city, the parking garage was solid white, making the vehicles stand out even more as they were illuminated by the room’s lights. Ahead of them, her armory and other storage rooms were located.

“This way, Rook,” said Lucretia as she led the way into her personal gym.

“Rook? You talkin’ to me?” asked Wendy.

“Of course, I’m addressing you. Who else is there? Why don’t you use your head and think a little before you speak,” said Lucretia as she looked to Wendy, but she just had a slight look of confusion on her face. “Right, I forgot to mention. I’ve given you a sort of codename to go by while you’re under my supervision. Rook. I’ll be addressing you as such while we train.”

Lucretia had actually thought about it a lot earlier and decided to use Devan’s old codename for Wendy. Wendy reminded Lucretia a lot of her deceased friend, and having the same name for her new apprentice seemed like a good idea, one that she could honor Devan by. She just hoped Wendy could match up to her old partner, but she kept her expectations reserved. She had a lot to do before Wendy was anywhere near the level of expertise that Devan was at.

Wendy smiled apologetically. “Aight. But why did you choose Rook?” she asked.

“I have my reasons. Now get in front of me here on the mat. Let’s see what you got,” said Lucretia, taking position on the padded mats.

“Okay. So, what’s first, ma’am?” asked Wendy.

“Close Quarters Combat, otherwise known as CQC. Let’s see what you can do,” said Lucretia as she stood at ease in front of Wendy on the mat.

“But you already know what I can do,” said Wendy.

“Just show me what you got,” said Lucretia.

Wendy readied herself and anxiously awaited the moment to strike, knowing full well that Lucretia was much more skilled than she was. She began sidestepping while keeping her eyes on her opponent. Once she was at Lucretia’s side, she lashed out with a punch, but Lucretia swiftly sidestepped and grabbed a hold of her punching arm, tossing her to the ground. Wendy landed on her back with a thud, but she quickly got back to her feet. She followed up with a couple punches to her opponent’s mid-section, but her foe dodged them with ease. Wendy tried to maneuver around and attack from behind; however, Lucretia caught her with a leg sweep and put her back down on the mat.

Lucretia walked over to her defeated opponent and looked down at her. “What’s the matter? You already out of breath?” she asked.

Wendy panted, trying to catch her breath. “Yeah… you’re just too good,” she said.

“I’ve had practice. By the way, you’ve been on the streets for most of your life, right? What sorts of criminal mischief have you been involved with until now? I have a feeling that you’re not used to mugging people. Either that, or the people you choose to mug are complete pushovers,” she said as she walked over to Wendy with her hands on her hips.

“I only did what I did in the past to survive. I just wanted to say that before I begin,” said Wendy as she sat upright on the mat. “In the past, I’ve done robberies, well, more like shoplifting actually. I only took small things, like food and maybe a shirt or two. I never robbed a store for money or anything like that. I didn’t have the courage or nerve to pull one of those off.”

Lucretia remained rather stoic, deciding to sit down next to Wendy on the mats. “Petty shoplifting, huh? What else?” she asked.

“What else? I pickpocketed… a lot. I broke into a few cars, trespassed a lot, stole more stuff, assaulted some people, disturbed the peace, destroyed some property, panhandled, and I was a squatter for a while before the police kicked us out. I also… did some prostitution and stuff like that, but I don’t want to talk about it,” said Wendy.

“Is that all? Those are all petty crimes,” said Lucretia as she leaned back with her hands holding her up behind her. “I’m only asking because since you’re training to be an assassin, I’m wondering if you have what it takes to kill, to take another person’s life. I’ve done it plenty of times, more than I can count. It was part of my job. But you- you’re still young and haven’t experienced death firsthand, or have you?”

“I haven’t killed anyone, but I’ve seen a few people get shot up before. They were mostly nobodies hanging out in the wrong part of town or pissing off the wrong people. Even though I’ve never committed a major crime, I think I have what it takes to kill. If the person deserves it, or if I’m getting paid, I can kill someone no problem,” said Wendy.

“Really? You sound so sure of yourself, but when you’re in the heat of the moment, and you have the power to take a life in the palm of your hand, literally, we’ll see how you do. But I like the enthusiasm and confidence. At least your willing to give it a shot,” said Lucretia.

“What’s next?” asked Wendy.

“Next, we’re going to see how well you can shoot. Follow me. We’re headed to my private armory,” said Lucretia as she stood up.

“Sweet. I can’t wait to see all the guns you got,” said Wendy, getting back on her feet and following after her.

“By the way, where did you get that piece of junk pistol I saw you with earlier?” asked Lucretia.

“Eh, I found it in an alley one day, so I decided to keep it. Never knew when it might come in handy,” said Wendy.

“So, you’ve never handled a gun before then?” asked Lucretia.

“Nope,” said Wendy.

“That’s ballsy. For all you knew, you could’ve shot yourself by accident. But luckily for you, I’ll instruct you on how to properly handle a firearm,” said Lucretia.

“Hey, you mentioned that killing was part of the job. Were you a cop or soldier before you became an assassin?” asked Wendy.

Lucretia kept walking and looked over her shoulder at Wendy. “It’s best not to bring up that subject,” she said.

“Okay, ma’am,” said Wendy, giving Lucretia an odd look.

They continued across the gym and approached the hallway leading to her gun room. Lucretia entered the passcode on the keypad and opened the door, prompting the automatic lights to turn on. The entire room was filled with firearms of all sorts, ranging from common pistols to some of the most state-of-the-art assault and sniper rifles. She had most of her weapons secured in gun cabinets, lockers, and cases, but some of her more expensive and rare weapons were displayed all around in display cases or on wall mounts. Along with firearms, all her ammunition for the weapons was stored neatly in a locker dedicated solely to it.

“Here we are- my pride and joy,” said Lucretia as she looked around the room.

“You have so many! Wow, look at this one! It’s so beautiful,” said Wendy, admiring a pistol on a wall display case.

“Oh, that? That’s my chrome special edition Xan Centennial Anniversary pistol. The finish and engraving are all custom and there are only five in the entire galaxy. I have the second one made. That’s not all. Over here I have a limited edition, gold Axel Arms model .44 magnum. The barrel is custom done and the grip has been switched out,” said Lucretia as she gestured to another firearm on display.

“Oh, wow…,” said Wendy as she came over to give it a look.

Lucretia continued on to the lockers to look for some weapons to bring out to the range. “Hey, hand me one of the empty bags over there,” she said, pointing underneath one of the tables. Wendy complied and handed her the bag before walking off to admire more of her collection. Lucretia took the bag and packed a few of her favorite weapons along with a few common ones for Wendy to use. After choosing her firearms to shot, she retrieved the appropriate ammunition and a few accessories for her weapons.

“Did you choose ones that are easy to use?” asked Wendy.

“Yeah. I choose some .22-caliber weapons, so the recoil won’t be so difficult to manage. You know, since you’re a novice when it comes to guns,” said Lucretia with a chuckle. “Anything bigger, and you’re going to be feeling it in your hands, arms, and shoulder in no time.”

Wendy chuckled as well, rubbing her puny arms embarrassingly. “But when I get stronger, I can try out the bigger stuff, right?” she asked.

“We’ll see. You’ve got a long way to go before then,” said Lucretia.

With their gear in tow, Lucretia led Wendy outside to the shooting range, which was around a fifteen-minute stroll away from the house. Lucretia didn’t feel like walking, so she and Wendy took her small, all-terrain vehicle or ATV to get there. Lucretia placed the bags in the storage compartment in the back then got in the driver’s seat. After Wendy got into the passenger seat next to her, Lucretia began driving along the trail to the shooting range.

When they got there, Lucretia grabbed the bags from the back and led Wendy over to the covered area in front of the shooting range. She set down the bags and tapped on the range’s control panel, activating the short-range targets. The range had targets placed at all distances, maxing out at one thousand yards. The targets were holograms that began as blue, but turned red if they were hit. At the stall where the shooter was firing from, the target that was hit was displayed on a screen, so the shooter could see where they were hitting.

Lucretia motioned Wendy over to her as she took out a pistol from the bag. “Listen up, Rook, this is a pistol, specifically one of my favorites. It’s a Blazien 18S handgun chambered for the .45-caliber round. This particular one is custom fitted with an internal laser, custom grip, and new trigger guard. I’ve used this as my sidearm for years,” she said.

“Yeah yeah. I know what a gun is,” said Wendy.

“Just shut up and listen,” said Lucretia as she took out the magazine and made sure the gun was unloaded. She then went on to instruct Wendy on proper firearm handling, going over the parts of the gun, proper form of holding the weapon, and the basic safety precautions used when dealing with guns. After giving her a crash-course on firing the weapon, she decided to give her a demonstration. She took out two pairs of ear plugs and gave Wendy a pair to use.

“Okay, once you’re locked and loaded, make sure your hands are properly gripping the firearm. You don’t want it too tight or too loose. Relax and control your breathing. Aim… and fire,” said Lucretia before pulling the trigger, hitting the target in the bullseye which was five feet out.

Wendy winced at the sound of the gunshot. “Nice shot,” she said, looking down range at the target.

Lucretia unloaded the rest of the magazine then placed the weapon on the table. “Now, it’s your turn,” she said as she reached into the bag, pulling out a .22-caliber pistol. She removed the magazine and loaded it with ammunition. After loading the last round, she placed it on the table and stepped back, allowing Wendy to shoot. “Now do as I showed you- and none of that gangsta crap. Just aim for the target next to the one I shot at. It doesn’t have to be a bullseye, but at least hit it.”

Wendy confidently took the pistol in hand and aimed at the target. She went through all the safety checks and procedures in her head, making sure the safety was off and that the gun was pointed in the right direction. As she raised the weapon, her hands started to shake as she nervously placed her finger on the trigger. “Will this make just as loud of a bang and kick just as hard as the gun you fired?” she asked.

“No. The one you have fires a smaller caliber round than mine. You won’t even notice it. Just pull the trigger and find out,” said Lucretia.

Wendy swallowed her fear and looked down the gun’s sights, lining them up with the target. Once she was ready, she fired the gun, hitting the target just inches away from the bullseye. “I hit it!” she said with delight, satisfied with her performance.

“Good. Nice shot for your first time. Keep firing and unload the clip,” said Lucretia with a smile, looking on impressed.

Wendy smiled and took aim, feeling the power in her hands. “That wasn’t too bad. It’s actually kinda fun!” she said before firing again and again, missing the bullseye but at least landing hits on the target. The shots were scattered all around, so she definitely needed to work on her accuracy and precision. After firing her last shot, she put down the pistol and eagerly turned to Lucretia. “What else you got? Let’s keep going!”

“All right, settle down. It’s only shooting. You’re not going to be like this when there’s a person in the crosshairs instead of a holo-target. Anyway, let’s move on to the rifle. I have the .22-caliber version of the CR40, the army’s standard-issue assault rifle. I normally use the iron sights, but you can use the red-dot sights to help you aim,” said Lucretia before going over the basic points of handling a rifle. Once she had explained everything to Wendy, she fired off two rounds at a new target before handing it over for her to try. “Okay, here you go. Remember- just line up the red dot with the target and you should have no problem hitting it,” she said as she stepped back.

Wendy took up position behind the table and shouldered the rifle, looking through the red-dot sights at the target. Once everything was lined up, she pulled the trigger and hit the edge of the bullseye. “I almost hit the bullseye! Did you see that!” she said.

“Don’t look at me. Focus on the target,” said Lucretia.

Wendy turned back down range and fired again, hitting the bullseye. She continued firing, landing her shots near or on the bullseye. The target was only about fifteen feet out, so it wasn’t too hard, especially with the red-dot sight attached to the rifle. “That was great. It’s really relaxing, you know?” she said, setting the rifle on the table.

“It is pretty relaxing, but ammo isn’t cheap, so I try not to vent my frustrations too often,” said Lucretia with a wink. “Next, we move on to the final weapon, the sniper rifle.”

“The final weapon? What about shotguns and submachine guns?” asked Wendy.

Lucretia stopped and gave Wendy a stern look. “Shotguns… are for pussies who don’t know how to shoot, preferring to just blast away and hope to hit something rather than taking the time to aim. I may own a shotgun or two, but that’s because they’re rare or have some special association with them. I never use them and you will probably never use one in the field. I never did. As for submachine guns, I have nothing against them, but any job a submachine gun can do, a rifle can do better. If you want to try one of them out, I a few in the armory,” she said.

“Oh, okay. Sorry for asking,” said Wendy with a weak smile.

“As I was saying, the last thing we will do today is work with a sniper rifle,” said Lucretia as she retrieved another gun from one of her bags. “Here, I have a real sniper rifle, unlike the .22 that you’ll be using. The one I have is an Axel Arms SR42 sniper rifle, complete with a cutting-edge scope and bipod. I’s chambered in the .338 Lapua Magnum round, which is probably the best long-distance rifle round you can get. Regardless of what you may have heard, the .50-caliber cartridge is overrated, and I tend to stay away from those types of rifles, since it’s harder to mask your location using such a big gun. I only use a .50 cal if I have to pierce armor plating, like on vehicles, but even then, I usually find another way to get the target.”

Wendy just nodded, having no idea what Lucretia was talking about. “Uh huh. Sure thing, ma’am,” she said.

Lucretia took the rifle, and like the other previous weapons, showed Wendy how it worked before demonstrating it. For that particular demonstration, she decided to dazzle Wendy with a thousand-yard shot. She selected the appropriate distance on the control panel and made a target pop up one thousand yards down range.

“Where’s the target? I can’t see it,” said Wendy as she struggled to spot the target.

“That’s because it’s one thousand yards down range. Just look at the screen and watch where the bullet hits the target,” said Lucretia as she lay prone on the ground, flipping out the bipods and lens covers on the scope. The rifle was already adjusted for one thousand yards, so it didn’t take long for her to get ready.

Wendy watched in anticipation as Lucretia slowed her breathing and focused on the target. Just as she was about to say something, Lucretia fired, hitting the target dead center. She jumped at the sudden sound of the shot, feeling the concussive force in her chest. She then looked over at the screen, noticing where the bullet hit. “Wow, you hit it that well from this far out?” she asked.

“Yeah. I’ve done this shot dozens of times. I’ve gotten used to it. At least the target wasn’t moving- those types of shots are a bitch,” said Lucretia, standing back up. She placed her rifle down and picked up the .22-caliber rifle with a basic scope and bipod attached. “Here you go. For you… I’ll set the target for twenty yards out. Let’s see how you do with that.”

Wendy gave Lucretia a nod and took the rifle, doing just as Lucretia did. After she laid prone on the ground, she shouldered the weapon and looked through the scope, searching for the target. Once she found it, she quickly placed the crosshairs over the target’s center and pulled the trigger. “Did I hit it?” she asked, looking up at Lucretia.

“Nope. Try again,” said Lucretia.

Wendy frowned and looked through her scope, taking aim again before firing. Like her first shot, she missed the target once more. Growing frustrated, she fired off another round, then another, but only managed to nick the edge of the target. “Why can’t I hit it!?” she said.

“Hmm… maybe the scope isn’t zeroed in. Here, let me see that,” said Lucretia.

Wendy handed the rifle over but remained on the ground, pouting at her lack of success. “I hope it’s the scope. I was doing so well too,” she said.

Lucretia took the rifle and didn’t even bother to go prone to shoot. At that range, it was easy enough to hit the target standing up. She peered through the scope and fired, hitting the target, but a few inches away from the bullseye. “Eh, it’s a bit off. Let me adjust it…,” she said as she adjusted the scope. “And there. Try again,” she said, handing back the rifle.

Wendy took the rifle and got situated in her firing position again. Aiming through the scope, she fired and hit the target but barely. She fired off the last two shots in the magazine and didn’t fare much better. “Damn it! I did so well with the other two guns. Why not this one!?” she said, standing back up.

“Well, the sniper rifle is the assassin’s tool-of-trade. Maybe you’re just tired,” said Lucretia as she looked to the target with her arms crossed. “You’ve been through a lot today, so why don’t we call it for now. You did good, Rook. Tomorrow, we’ll celebrate with a shopping spree, okay?”

“Okay. Thanks again, ma’am… for all of this,” said Wendy with a smile.

“No problem. I’ll make you an assassin yet,” said Lucretia as she began checking the weapons before packing them away. Once she had everything in the bags, she and Wendy got back in the ATV and drove back to the house. During the ride, Lucretia got lost in her thoughts. _‘Not bad for her first time. With time and a lot of hard work, she might just be able to pull this off. Well, I did ask for a change of pace, and now I have it.’_

When they got back, Lucretia took the bags and slung them over her shoulder before heading back to her armory to drop it all off. She told Wendy she could handle everything, so she was free to do whatever. She proceeded on to the armory and placed everything back in its place, but before heading back upstairs, she decided to stop by the sanitation closet.

Lucretia opened the door only to find mops, brooms, and other cleaning supplies stored on two shelves to her right and left. She looked around to make sure she was alone then stepped inside, closing the door behind her. The closet had a light in it, so it wasn’t entirely pitch black when she shut the door. She approached the back walk, which had three hooks on it to hang cleaning tools, and pulled on the left one. The wall shifted and slid to the left, revealing a hidden door with a holo-keypad.

“Identification, please,” said the automated security system.

“Ren, Lucretia,” said Lucretia, placing her hand on the scanner. Once her identification was confirmed, she typed in the passcode and walked through the door, entering into a fully-furnished hallway complete with lights and a modern-style décor. The hallway looked like any other in her house. Once she was through, the door closed and the wall reverted back to its default state. She walked down the hallway and came to another door, needing only another passcode to enter. She typed in the second passcode and found herself in a storage room with the same décor as the rest of her house.

In the center of the room, there was a desk that had a single chair behind it. Along with the desk, there was a wardrobe, gun locker, and several shelves filled with items from her past in the room. The room she was in was where she kept her most intimate secrets, mostly the ones revealing her true identity as former Major Lucretia Ren of the Cornerian Crimzon Roses.

Lucretia’s military uniforms were displayed on full-bodied mannequins that were shaped in her image. She had her service dress on one and her combat uniform displayed on the other. Each of the mannequins were complete with all the gear, accessories, headgear, and footwear that were associated with each uniform.

In the weapons locker, Lucretia had all her firearms stored there from when she was a Crimzon Rose. Among them were her partner’s sniper rifle and her weapons from the day she went rogue. She didn’t want a single trace of her old life to be found in her penthouse or even in the upper mansion, so she moved everything to her secure, secret room in the basement.

The walls had pictures of her from all points of her life before her defection. She had pictures of her family, of her and her sister, and of her during many parts of her military career. On the shelves, she displayed many awards and distinctions she had earned while in the academy and on active duty. In the wardrobe, she kept an extra stash of cash and several personal items from her previous life.

Lucretia walked along the walls of the room, looking at all the pictures and several items from her past. She stopped at her desk, which had a few pieces of paper and a framed picture of her and Devan. She picked up the picture and sat at the desk, sobbing at the memory of her old partner. She spent a good thirty minutes or so just sitting in her chair, reflecting on her life. She still regretted killing Devan and ruining her life for something so stupid. She was beginning to get over it until she met Wendy. She was a fool, and it haunted her every day. As she sat there, she began to remember Rayff and how he ruined her life. Damn Rayff. Damn him to hell.


	7. A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

_One year ago…_

Everyone’s attention was glued to a small, white ball as it spun around and around. As the wheel began to slow, everyone took in a deep breath and held it, awaiting the final stop of the little, plastic object. The wheel finally stopped and the ball ceased its journey in one of thirty-eight spots.

“Red, twenty-one.”

There were a loud number of groans from the surrounding crowd with few shrieks of success intertwined with them. Among the winners was Lucretia, a classy-looking woman wearing a bright red dress and high heels. She had a confident smirk on her face as she looked at the ball, then to the croupier.

“Congratulations on your winnings, Ms. Ren,” said the croupier as he paid out her winnings, amounting to several hundreds of dollars.

“Why thank you, Jean. Could you be a dear and color me up? I think it’s about time I retired to the bar,” said Lucretia, pushing her highly-stacked piles of chips towards him.

The croupier gave her a nod and exchanged her chips, passing back a small tray of high-denomination chips. “Here you go, ma’am,” he said.

Lucretia smiled and took the tray, leaving a chip on the table as a tip for him. “Thanks again,” she said before making her way to the chip exchange. Once she got there, she handed over the tray of chips and her debit card.

“Another large take, eh, Ms. Ren?” said the chip exchange teller.

“Got really lucky on the Blackjack tables and a bit on the Roulette. Not my best night, but at least I didn’t end up in the negative,” said Lucretia with a smirk.

“As always, ma’am,” said the teller. Before she took the tray from Lucretia, the news channel caught her attention on the TV next to her. “Oh dear, another ship was attacked by space pirates. Have you been keeping up with the recent attacks in the area?”

Lucretia reluctantly nodded her head, well aware of the attacks. “Yeah. They’ve been keeping everyone busy at the office. It’s weird how they’ve started to sprout up all of a sudden,” she said.

The teller nodded and took the chips, digitally adding the amount to her bank card. When she was done, Lucretia took the card and thanked the teller before making her way to the nearby bar. She walked along the luxurious, gold and scarlet carpet as she held her dainty purse in hand, smiling as she watched the other patrons gamble away their paychecks, life’s savings, and inheritance. She had been coming there for quite some time whenever she had a break from her work, and she had seen her fair share of disappointments. Fortunately for her, she was a smart gambler and relied on common sense and skill, rather than emotion and a need for instant gratification. And as previous winnings had demonstrated to her, perhaps a bit of luck factored in to her success as well.

Lucretia entered the dimly lit bar, which was a large contrast to the lively and brightly-lit casino floor adjacent to her. It was moderately occupied but still had plenty of secluded spots to hide away from everything. She approached the bar and took a seat, tapping on the touch-screen order system on the countertop. It didn’t take long for her to order as she went with the usual, a cherry-mint daiquiri. The bartender received the order, and within a few minutes, came by with her drink, placed it in front of her on the counter.

After the drink was set down, the countertop’s holo-display showed Lucretia the drink’s ingredients, alcohol content, and other nutritional facts. Taking the drink in hand, she thanked the barkeep and took a long swig, nearly finishing half of the refreshing beverage. She sighed with relief, licking her lips as she set it back down on the counter, the statistics changing on the display to match the new volume of liquid in the glass.

As Lucretia was sitting there, the seat next to her was suddenly occupied by a man wearing a tailored black suit. He ordered his drink using the holo-display as well then turned to Lucretia. “That was some pretty fine gambling. You won quite a lot at the Roulette table. Do you come here often?” he asked.

Lucretia took another sip from her daiquiri then turned to him. “Indeed, but not as much as I’d like. I only get so many weekends off,” she said as she swished the contents of her glass around, examining the man before her with his slicked-back hair and cheap smile. “But why the sudden interest?”

The man shrugged, taking his drink from the bartender when he came by with it. “Is it a crime to share a drink with such a beautiful looking woman such as yourself?” he asked, tapping his glass to hers before taking a sip.

“No, I suppose not,” said Lucretia as she drank her beverage as well, finishing it off and setting the empty glass on the counter.

The man smiled and set his glass down. “The name’s Rayff, by the way,” he said, outstretching his hand for a shake.

Lucretia scoffed quietly at him, returning his handshake. “Lucretia. Nice to meet you, I guess,” she said.

Rayff withdrew his hand and noticed that her drink was finished. “Looks like you’re empty. Mind if I buy you another round?” he asked.

Lucretia looked at her empty glass, then back to him, shrugging. “Sure. Why not?” she said.

For the next hour or so, the two of them continued to talk casually with one another, purchasing over six drinks between the two of them. Lucretia was definitely inebriated and Rayff was too, but not as much as she was; it was all going according to his plan. After getting her nice and drunk, he decided it was time to continue with his devious scheme.

Rayff smiled and turned to Lucretia, setting down his drink. “So, did you drive here? You don’t look like you’re in the best condition to be driving anywhere,” he said.

Lucretia groaned a bit, holding her head. “Yeah. I think I had one drink too many,” she said before letting out another sigh, wincing from the stinging sensation in her head.

“You know, I got a room on the twentieth floor with a nice view. You can sleep off your headache and leave in the morning, I mean, if you want,” said Rayff, looking to her while trying to seem as genuine and honest as possible despite his evil intentions.

Hearing Rayff talk about bringing her back to his room, Lucretia looked up and tried to get a read on him. As she took a moment to think it over, she didn’t have many choices. She could’ve hailed a cab or called someone to pick her up, but that wouldn’t look good if she returned drunk. Either way, she still would’ve needed to pick her car up later. She sighed and nodded her head; she’d been in worse situations before, and she could take care of herself.

“If you try anything funny, I’ll rip your balls off and shove ‘em down your throat. You get me?” said Lucretia, giving Rayff a stern look.

Rayff gulped at Lucretia’s sudden aggressive nature and nodded. “Um, of course. You can trust me,” he said, smiling weakly as he tried to put her at ease.

Lucretia gave him one last intimidating glare before nodding. She grabbed her purse and got up from her seat but stumbled a bit, quickly grasping the back of the chair to prevent herself from falling. Seeing her wobbly on her feet, Rayff got up as well and helped her keep her balance.

“Here, let me help you,” said Rayff, taking one of Lucretia’s arms and putting it around his neck so she could use him as a support.

“Thanks…,” said Lucretia with a weak voice.

Lucretia and Rayff made their way out of the bar, taking an elevator up to his room. Throughout the trip there, the two of them remained rather silent. Lucretia was just focused on getting to a bed while Rayff was still slightly intimidated by her tough-girl demeanor. Perhaps she was more trouble than he thought, something not worth the hassle. When they arrived at his room, he slid his keycard in and opened the door.

“Well, here we are. You can use the bathroom if you need or just crash on the couch… or whatever,” said Rayff as he helped Lucretia inside, shutting the door behind them.

Lucretia broke away from him and made her way over to the bed. “Couch? What kind of gentleman are you? I’m taking the bed,” she said as she sat on the side of the bed, taking off her red high heels and placing her purse on the bedside table. She stretched her arms high into the air and yawned, looking to the bathroom. “You got any extra towels in there?”

“Um, yeah. There should be some extras in there,” said Rayff as he leaned against a nearby wall. “What are you going to do? Take a shower?”

Lucretia got up from the bed and made her way over to the bathroom, opening up the door. “I might. We’ll see,” she said before stepping inside. She then shut the door behind her, and the sound of the lock clicking was heard.

Rayff remained standing off to the side until he heard the sound of rushing water from within the bathroom. Once he felt it was clear, he meandered over to the bedside and sat down, looking at Lucretia’s purse. “Hmm… maybe a sneak-peak wouldn’t hurt,” he said to himself as he took the purse. He opened it up and only saw a few items: her wallet, phone, and a few other womanly things.

Smirking, Rayff took the wallet and set the purse back down on the side table, still hearing the sounds of water splashing in the bathroom. He opened it up and the first thing he saw were the various debit and credit cards stashed away in it, making him grin with delight. Just as he began to get his hopes up, they were soon extinguished as he gazed upon her ID card. Upon seeing it, he quickly began to rethink his scheme once he realized that he was looking at a military ID card. He read the card and learned that Lucretia Ren was a major in the army, stationed at the nearby base. And not only that, she was a member of the Crimzon Roses, an elite Special Forces unit.

Upon finding out who Lucretia really was, there was no way Rayff planned on robbing her and getting away spot free. He was dead certain that she would find a way to track him down and make him pay for taking advantage of her. Suddenly, the sounds of rushing water stopped in the bathroom, prompting him to close the wallet and return it back in the purse.

Just as Rayff got the purse to the way it was, he returned to his place at the side of the bed right as the bathroom door opened. Lucretia stood in the door way and for some reason, she had a sultry look on her face as she seductively stood there, looking at Rayff.

Rayff just sat there, looking at her with mixed feelings and thoughts. “So… how was the shower?” he asked with a casual smile, loosening his tie and removing it.

Lucretia smirked and ran a hand through her hair. “I just washed my face. I decided I’ll take a shower in the morning to help wake up,” she said as she continued to stand there in her red dress.

Suddenly, to Rayff’s amazement, Lucretia started to undo the zipper on her back. She kept her gaze on him as she undid her dress, letting it fall to the floor as she stepped out of it, pushing it off to the side with her foot. As she stood there wearing only her black, silk lingerie, Rayff couldn’t help but get aroused and worried at the same time. On her right thigh were three stainless-steel throwing knives, sheathed in a concealed holster and secured by a garter belt. He gulped and tried to avoid looking at them, instead focusing on her body, which was rather toned but still retained its alluring feminine curves.

Lucretia noticed Rayff glancing at her knives and looked down at them, chuckling a bit. “Oh, don’t worry. These aren’t for you,” she said before slipping them off and setting them on the dresser. She then started walking towards him, her hips swaying alluringly as she pushed him back on the bed and straddled his waist.

Seeing her on top of him like that, Rayff started to loosen up and placed his hands on her hips as he gazed into her eyes. The two of them looked at each other for a few moments, saying nothing as remained in awkward silence. Before Rayff could react, Lucretia moved in and gave him a passionate kiss. The two of them then lost themselves in each other’s embrace for the rest of the night.

#

“Say, where were you this weekend?”

Lucretia looked through her scope at the metal target down range, factoring in several variables before making her shot. “What’s it to ya? I was out enjoying my weekend off,” she said to her partner while still adjusting her sniper rifle.

The shooter positioned on the spot next to Lucretia set his rifle down and looked to her. “You missed Sergeant Andrews’ cook-out. I thought you were going,” he said.

Lucretia took aim with her rifle and held her breath, pulling the trigger mid-heartbeat. Unfortunately, the shot hit several inches away from the center of the target. She exhaled and cursed to herself as she reloaded her weapon, pulling back on the bolt and pushing it forward to load another round into the chamber. “The Sharpshooter’s barbecue was this past weekend? Damn. Sorry, Evans. I forgot,” she said.

“It’s fine. So where did you go? I didn’t see you around all day yesterday, and you seem kinda out of it today,” said Evans.

Before preparing for another shot, Lucretia set her rifle down and turned to meet his eyes. “I kinda… got piss drunk and had a one-night stand with a random guy I met at the casino,” she said before sighing slightly, remembering bits and pieces of the night before. From what she could remember, it was a fun experience and she yearned for more. “But to tell you the truth, he was kinda cute and I was really in the mood, I guess you can say.”

“Did you get his number?” asked Evans out of the blue.

Sadly, Lucretia shook her head. “I was too freaked out when I woke up to find myself naked in bed with him. I just got everything and bolted. I guess I should’ve stayed a bit to talk things out or get an explanation, but whatever,” she said.

Evans just nodded his head, surprised at her straightforwardness with him. “Wow. Well, that’s… interesting. But you should be more careful, Lucky. That guy could’ve been a creep or some psychopath. You could’ve ended up dead for all you know,” he said.

“Nah. I can take care of myself. Besides, he seemed harmless enough,” said Lucretia. She smirked haughtily and focused back on her shooting, re-shouldering her rifle as she looked back down range through her scope.

“Yeah, I guess that you can,” said Evans before returning to shooting as well.

Before firing again, Lucretia couldn’t help but think about Rayff and the night they shared together. That was one of the few times she truly felt alive and wanted by another. She needed that feeling again, the one of being in a man’s loving embrace. Hearing Evans fire off his weapon, she snapped out of her fantasy and returned to her own shooting, readjusting the scope on her rifle.

#

Over the next few days, Lucretia went back to the casino to try and find Rayff again, but to no avail. She continued to win big as usual wherever she went, be it at the Blackjack, Craps, or Roulette tables, but she still couldn’t find him. It wasn’t until her next full weekend off that she caught a glimpse of him at the casino. She had just doubled her money at the Roulette table by betting on red and wanted something more exciting. It wasn’t until she spotted Rayff wearing the same suit that she almost jumped for joy. He was sitting at a Blackjack table, so she hurried over to him and took the empty seat beside him.

“So, look who it is. The Lady Killer,” said Lucretia as she set her tray of chips in front of her.

Rayff nearly jerked out of his seat as he heard Lucretia beside him. He had been watching another potential sucker to seduce and rob until she showed up out of nowhere. After calming down, he turned to meet her enthusiastic grin. “Oh, it’s you. Um. Lucinda, right?” he said, not completely remembering her name.

“Lucretia. It’s Lucretia, Rayff,” said Lucretia as she gave him a stern look, somewhat disappointed that he’d forgotten her name already.

“Oh, right. Right. So… how’ve you been? I didn’t… expect to see you around after what, you know, happened last time we met,” said Rayff.

Lucretia blushed a little, placing her bet down so the dealer could begin the round. “Well, actually, that was kinda why I wanted to talk to you again. I sorta… liked what we did and… you know, wouldn’t mind doing more things like that,” she said.

Rayff raised an eyebrow, turning back to her after losing his hand against the dealer. “You… do?” he asked, gulping nervously while diverting his gaze from her.

“Well, yeah,” said Lucretia with a smile.

“I mean, it was pretty unbelievable that you were so… willing, and all. But yeah, I guess I wouldn’t mind having sex with you again,” said Rayff. As soon as he said that, he cursed under his breath to himself, wondering what he was doing. She worked for the military and could have his head on a platter if she were to find out about his criminal behavior. But he couldn’t help himself; Lucretia was unlike any other woman he’d been with in the past. She was attractive, rich, and had an amazing body, but then again, she was also military. Weighing the risks, he acted on pure impulse and decided to go for it. “Um, you know. I got a room at the hotel again… if you want to relive old memories.”

After collecting her winnings from getting a perfect hand, Lucretia smirked, using her hand to brace her head on the table as she looked at him. “Eager, are we?” she asked as she continued to smile at him, biting her lip a little in a seductive fashion. “Then lead the way.”

#

“Yo, wake up. Briefing’s about to start soon.”

Lucretia shook awake, sitting up straight in her chair. “Huh, what?” she asked, looking around in a confused manner. She was sitting in a small room amongst other soldiers awaiting a mission briefing.

“The colonel is on his way. He’ll be here soon,” said the soldier sitting next to her, shaking his head in disappointment. “What’s the matter with you? Ever since you got that new boyfriend of yours, you’ve been completely out of it. How long have you been with him now?”

“Urgh, a few months, I think. But who cares? Once I’m on duty, I’m good to go and I get the job done, so don’t worry about me. Geez,” said Lucretia, crossing her arms over her chest as she yawned.

When the senior officer arrived, the room stood at attention as he entered the briefing room. After stepping in, he promptly put everyone at ease before making his way to the front of the room. “Good morning, ladies and gents,” he said in a hurried fashion. As everyone took their seats again, he tapped the projection screen and began the briefing. “We have a situation on our hands that requires our utmost attention. As you all know, there have been several instances of pirate attacks in the area by a professional pirate crew, mostly in the main shipping lanes.”

“Great, more pirates,” said Lucretia to herself in a whisper.

The colonel swiped his hand across the screen, showing the soldiers in attendance several images of ships that had been targeted in the past. “We have reports of a high-profile transport ship recently getting attacked by pirates. Its crew is currently being held hostage,” he said as he looked to everyone in the room. “This pirate crew we’re dealing with is a no non-sense outfit. They are ruthless in nature and wouldn’t think twice about executing hostages, even if it’s just a feeling they have of us trying to move against them. We don’t want a repeat of the Kesner Operation where ten hostages were summarily executed when the pirates caught whiff of the inbound strike team. We have the local police who responded to the call to thank for that fiasco.”

Suddenly, there were murmurs from the crowd as they recalled botched rescue attempt. Lucretia didn’t bother with the side conversations and focused on the screen. “So, what’s our POA, Colonel?” she asked loudly over the chatter.

The officer giving the briefing looked to Lucretia and continued on. “Our objective is to take out the pirate leadership to buy us some time. Without the leader, the other pirates will be left confused and disoriented. Once the man in charge of things is taken out, we’re going to send in an orbital strike team to take care of everything else. That’s where you come in, Major Ren,” he said.

“Me, sir?” asked Lucretia.

The colonel nodded. “We’re sending in a deep-strike sniper team to take out the pirate leader. You’ll be leading this mission, major,” he said.

Lucretia looked surprised but confident. “Roger that, sir. Do we know who the leader is?” she asked.

The colonel tapped on the screen, revealing a file photo of the pirate leader. “Indeed we do,” he said.

As soon as the picture appeared on the screen, Lucretia’s heart sank, glancing away momentarily before looking back to make sure she was seeing it correctly. “It can’t be…,” she said under her breath.

Seeing Lucretia’s sudden flustered expression, the colonel decided to probe a little. “Is there a problem, major?” he asked.

Lucretia directed her attention to him and shook her head. “No, sir,” she said while regaining her military bearing. After the colonel nodded and continued on, she cursed under her breath as she tried to focus on things. _‘Why didn’t you tell me sooner, Rayff?’_

###

Once Lucretia was done feeling sorry for herself and reminiscing about her past, she made her way back up to the house to get ready to turn in for the night. As she was walking towards her room, she ran into Wendy.

“Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?” asked Wendy after coming out of the bathroom.

“Yeah, what is it?” asked Lucretia.

“Why are there cameras in the damn bathroom? As I was taking a shower, I happened to notice one looking right down at me. Do you make a habit of spying on people when they’re naked?” asked Wendy with a furrowed eyebrow.

“Well, I never imagined having people over at my house. Those cameras are mostly for me as a security measure,” said Lucretia.

“I thought you said you never had guests over?” asked Wendy.

“And I never said the people I’m watching out for were invited in the first place. But don’t worry. I won’t be peeping on you as you use the bathroom. I don’t swing that way,” said Lucretia with a wink before continuing into her bedroom.


	8. Down and Dirty

The next morning, Lucretia and Wendy awoke and got ready for a day of shopping and leisurely living. Lucretia planned on bringing Wendy into the city to visit Oak Shopping Mall, a well-known shopping plaza.

“So how did you sleep?” asked Lucretia as Wendy appeared in the kitchen. She was already there having breakfast when she arrived.

“Very good, ma’am. I haven’t slept like that in years,” said Wendy with a content smile. She made her way to the fridge to begin looking for food, but Lucretia already had something made for her.

“I’ve already made you breakfast. It’s over there next to the stove,” said Lucretia.

Wendy looked over to find a plate of sausage and eggs with a side of buttered toast waiting for her. “Wow, thank you, ma’am,” she said. taking the plate and sitting down next to Lucretia at the counter. “Where we goin’ today?” she asked before sampling the eggs.

“We’re headed into the city. There’s a mall there and it’s the perfect place to buy whatever you’re looking for. You can find clothes, furniture -not that you need any of that-, miscellaneous decorations for your room, perfumes, beauty stuff, and they even have a store there that sells knives and swords, if you’re into that kind of stuff,” said Lucretia.

Wendy smiled at the thought of buying stuff for herself as she ate. She couldn’t remember the last time she owned anything that was purchased with her own money, aside from the usual dollar menu meal from a fast-food restaurant. They continued to talk about their excursion while they ate, and when they were ready to go, they made their way to the garage in the basement.

Lucretia had quite a few vehicles displayed down there, ranging from classic sports cars to advanced super cars. Most of them were colored red, as that was her favorite color, but some had other color schemes. Some of the classic cars were painted in ways similar to ones that they were most famously known for. That day, Lucretia chose to drive one of her luxury sedans. She figured she was going to have to bring back a lot of stuff from their day of shopping.

“So, what kind of music do you like to listen to?” asked Lucretia after they got into the car.

“Um, I don’t really listen to music much. I don’t have a phone, remember?” said Wendy.

“Here, listen to some of this,” said Lucretia, playing her personal playlist on the car’s stereo. She mainly listened to dubstep and electronic genres of music. Wendy didn’t mind the beat and nodded her head along with the songs. Lucretia pressed the button that opened the garage door and drove out, making her way onto the main road that led into the city.

The drive there was tranquil, finding themselves mostly the only ones on the road. They drove with their windows down, allowing the wind to flow through their hair. As they approached the city limits, they began seeing more activity on the roads. Unlike they city Wendy was used to, Bower City, which was an older, dirtier city full of vice and corruption, Orelya was a newer city complete with the latest public technologies and services. Unlike the trash-ridden streets of Bower City, Orelya’s streets and sidewalks were completely clean and well maintained.

When they arrived at the mall near the center of the city, Lucretia parked at the large parking garage adjacent to the mall. “Here we are,” said Lucretia as she turned off the car.

“I’m so excited! I’m going into the first store I see!” said Wendy.

“Calm down, sheesh. It’s only shopping,” said Lucretia. She was dressed in one of her sleek suits with her wallet stashed away in her inner coat pocket.

Wendy eagerly got out of the car and was still dressed in the same rags Lucretia found her in. The contrast between their two outfits was drastic, but neither of them minded as they proceeded into the mall together. Wendy looked around and spotted a shoe store first to her left.

“Let’s go this way. These shoes are killin’ me,” said Wendy.

“Lead the way. I’m just here to tag along and make sure you don’t get into any trouble,” said Lucretia as she followed after Wendy into the shoe store.

The two of them spent the day going from store to store, buying whatever came to mind. Wendy bought various pieces of clothing and shoes for herself, along with some personal items for her two rooms. She spent a good portion of the money given to her by Lucretia, but she didn’t go too spend-happy. She saved about a quarter of her money for an emergency. They had to make several trips back to the car to unload their bags before continuing on. After going through all the stores and racking up a hefty bill, they decided to call it a day and head back home.

“That was fun, wouldn’t you say?” asked Lucretia.

“Yeah, it was. I’ve got so many new clothes to wear now!” said Wendy, looking at all the bags she was carrying. “Actually, can you wait up for second? I gotta go do something.”

Lucretia stopped and looked to Wendy. “What’s up? Forget something?” she asked.

“Nah. Just wait here. I’ll be right back,” said Wendy as she hurried off.

Lucretia just stood there, confused as she watched Wendy leave. She shrugged her shoulders and found a bench to sit at until Wendy came back. She figured it was probably nothing, so she didn’t worry about it.

Shortly after she left, Wendy returned sporting some new clothes on. “So, how do I look?” she asked.

“I see you’re already wearing one of your new outfits. What happened to your old clothes?” asked Lucretia.

“I tossed them. They weren’t even mine to begin with anyway,” said Wendy.

Lucretia gave an approving nod at Wendy’s new look then got up. The two of them then returned to the car and got ready to leave. The back seat and trunk were filled to capacity, almost blocking the rear window completely. After starting up the car, Lucretia began playing music again as she started driving back home. Speeding along down the highway, Lucretia took an exit that led back to her private road leading to her mansion.

“Wait a sec…,” said Lucretia as she looked into the rearview mirror, seeing a car tailing them. They were already on her private road, so no one should’ve been there except them.

“What is it, ma’am?” asked Wendy.

“We’re being followed,” said Lucretia.

“By who? The police!?” asked Wendy, turning around to look through the rear window.

“Not likely. This isn’t how the police operate. If they want something, they’ll just flat out ask for it. They wouldn’t tail me down a private road like this without flashing any lights or sirens. Don’t turn around. Pretend we don’t notice him,” said Lucretia. She opened up the storage compartment in the center console and pulled out a pistol.

“What are you going to do?” asked Wendy.

“Just stay calm and follow my lead,” said Lucretia as she slowed down and pulled off to the side of the road, keeping an eye on the vehicle behind them. She watched as the car tailing them followed suit and also slowed down, stopping a few yards behind them. She checked her sidearm and placed it in the back of her pants before stepping out of the car. As she was getting out, so did Wendy who was more than nervous about the whole situation.

“Hey, brah, what’s the big deal? This is a private road, you know?” said Lucretia, walking towards the man after he got out of his own vehicle. Before she could take another step, the man drew a pistol and shot her in the chest.

“Ma’am!” said Wendy as she looked on in fright at Lucretia falling to the ground.

“Get your hands up! Move away from the car!” said the man as he approached Wendy. He walked past Lucretia, who was still on the ground lying motionless. Wendy trembled as the man approached her, his gun still aimed right at her.

“Hey, buddy.” As the man turned around, Lucretia shot him in the shoulder, causing him to drop his weapon. The man cried in pain as she followed up with a shot to each of his knees, incapacitating him. She rushed over to him and kicked his gun away, keeping hers aimed at his head.

“Ms. Luck!” said Wendy as she hurried over to Lucretia, relieved that she was still alive. “Are you hurt?”

“Naw. My vest blocked the shot,” said Lucretia while patting her chest.

“You have a bullet-proof vest on?” asked Wendy.

“A ‘bullet-resistant’ vest. Common misconception. But yeah, I’m fine, which is much more than I can say for this guy,” said Lucretia before crouching down and placing her pistol against the assailant’s forehead. “So, buddy, where do you get off shooting me like that? Huh?”

“You bitch!” said the guy, still writhing in pain from his gunshot wounds. “You shot me in the knees!”

“Now now, I’m the one with the gun. I ask the questions, you answer them… unless you want me to shoot you again?” said Lucretia.

The man paused to think Lucretia’s question over then responded. “We planned to hold you hostage to gain access to your mansion,” he said.

“Why, so you can rob me clean? And who is this we?” asked Lucretia.

“If I tell you everything, you promise not to kill me?” asked the man.

“Yes. I promise. I’ll even call a medical transport to airlift you out of here,” said Lucretia.

“Ms. Luck, you don’t mean that, do you!? This guy tried to kill you,” said Wendy in protest.

“Calm down. I’ll take care of anything,” said Lucretia as she looked Wendy. She then redirected her attention towards her victim. “So, guy, as you were saying?”

“There are three of us. I was watching your car while you were at the mall, and once you planned to leave, I told my two friends to get into position. They’re up the road posing as two guys whose car broke down,” said the man.

“Is that so? So… who are you and how do you know of this place?” asked Lucretia.

The man tried to sit up but couldn’t due to the pain. “I- I helped build your house. I figured that with all the security being added, there must’ve been something worth stealing inside. Not to mention all the customizations to the garage and basement. I figured you were a rich gal with expensive tastes,” he said.

After hearing all that, Lucretia gritted her teeth in anger and nearly shot the man on the spot. “You piece of shit! You were all sworn to secrecy about that project!” she said, kicking the man.

The man cried out in pain as his gunshot wounds throbbed with ever kick. “I couldn’t help myself! This was supposed to be an easy score, and I could’ve quit my dead-end job after all this,” said the man.

Lucretia huffed in frustration then got control of herself. “So, let me get this straight. There are two guys up the road, who are probably armed as well, and they’re trying to hold me hostage so I take them into my house, correct?” she asked.

The man nodded and said, “Yeah. That’s right.”

“And there are three of you in total, with you being the third, right?” asked Lucretia. She glared at the man as he nodded again. “Well then, it seems you’ve exhausted your usefulness. Rook, would you like the honor?” she asked, handing her the pistol.

“What do you want me to do with that?” asked Wendy.

“Simple. I want you to kill him,” said Lucretia.

The wounded man jerked with rage. “I thought we had a deal!” he said.

“Oh, shut up. I don’t make deals with scum like you. I only kill them,” said Lucretia. “It’s your fault that your greed got the better of you, and now you pay for that.”

Wendy looked at the gun in Lucretia’s hand and took it. “Okay,” she said as she recalled her training on how to properly handle firearms.

“That a girl, Rook. Now one shot, right through his forehead. This will prove if you have the guts to become an assassin and continue training under my supervision,” said Lucretia.

“Well, he did try to kill us,” said Wendy as she looked to the wounded man. She took the pistol in her hand and aimed it at the man’s head, ignoring his tears and cries for mercy. Without hesitation, she shot once and blew a hole right in the man’s head. The recoil was more than she was used to, and shooting a gun without hearing protection shook her, but she managed all right in the end. “Wow, that was actually pretty… exciting,” she said after taking the man’s life.

Lucretia smiled, crossing her arms. “It is. Shoot him again. Have at it if you want,” she said.

Wendy smiled as well and shot the dead man in the chest, unloading the entire magazine into his lifeless body. Once she was done, she handed Lucretia back her gun. “Thanks, ma’am. I- I’ve never felt such power before,” she said.

“All right, you had your fun,” said Lucretia as she placed the gun in the back of her pants. “Now check him.”

“Check him?” asked Wendy.

“Yeah. Cash, credit cards, anything that could be useful,” said Lucretia.

Wendy complied and checked the corpse’s pockets, finding his wallet and an extra magazine. While she was checking the guy, Lucretia waltzed over and picked up the dead man’s gun. “I only found his wallet and some ammo. Had twenty dollars on him,” said Wendy.

“Eh, better than nothing. And we can sell his car later. Here, this is yours,” said Lucretia as she tossed the man’s pistol to Wendy.

“For me?” asked Wendy.

“Yup. It’s a start to your very own gun collection. You’ll be in charge of cleaning it and maintain it,” said Lucretia. “But of course, it’ll be stored in the armory when we’re not training or working.”

Wendy took the gun and looked it over. “Thank you, ma’am. So now what do we do?” she asked.

Lucretia looked around and came up with a plan. “The guy said that there are two guys down the road, waiting to pounce on us. They’re probably armed, so let’s do this...,” she said as she walked back to her car and came to the trunk. “Wendy, can you hit the trunk release by the front seat?”

Wendy complied and went to the driver’s seat, releasing the trunk. “What’re looking for?” she asked.

Lucretia opened the trunk up and began taking out the bags. “Hey, Wendy, help me move these bags out of the way,” she said.

Leaving the driver’s side of the car, Wendy went to help Lucretia move all the bags she was taking out. “You got some sorta secret weapon in here?” she asked.

“You’ll see,” said Lucretia with a wily smirk. Once all the shopping bags were out of the way, she was able to gain access to the hidden compartment underneath the false bottom to the trunk. She lifted the bottom up, revealing a sniper rifle broken down into its main parts. Along with the rifle, there was the fully loaded magazine and a spotter’s scope. She took out the gun parts and began to assemble the rifle.

“You have a rifle in the trunk? Do all of your cars have hidden guns in them?” asked Wendy.

“Some do. Just the sedans and not the classics or sports cars. I wouldn’t even dare modifying one of them with a compartment to hide a rifle,” said Lucretia.

“So, what are you plannin’ to do? Shoot them?” asked Wendy.

“Precisely,” said Lucretia before closing the trunk. She took the rifle and scope in hand then turned to Wendy. “And you’re coming with me. You’re going to get a little on-the-job training and help me take out these guys from afar. I’ll do the shooting and you’ll just be observing, just to get a feel for this sort of thing.”

“What about all this?” asked Wendy, looking at their car, the corpse on the ground, and the other vehicle.

“Don’t worry about it. We’re in the middle of nowhere, so the car will be fine,” said Lucretia as she handed Wendy the spotter’s scope. “C’mon, let’s get a move on.”

Wendy looked at her clothes then followed behind her. “Man, I’m going to get my clothes all dirtied up,” she said.

They trekked through the plains and moved parallel to the road at a distance. Lucretia used her rifle’s scope to scout ahead and make sure they didn’t stray too far from the road. Eventually, she spotted a SUV by the roadside, about a mile from her property.

“They’re up ahead. Time to set up shop,” said Lucretia as she readied her rifle and went prone on the ground.

“If you say so,” said Wendy as she reluctantly laid down next to Lucretia on the ground, groaning slightly as her brand-new outfit got dirty.

Lucretia set up her rifle on its bipod and switched the safety off. “Do you know how to use that?” she asked, glancing over to Wendy beside her.

“Just look through it, right?” asked Wendy.

“Basically. I’ve already adjusted the range, so you should be able to easily see them from here. Just keep watch and listen to me,” said Lucretia.

Wendy peered through the scope while Lucretia shouldered her weapon, using her rifle’s scope to look through. In the distance, she spotted the two men standing by their vehicle. They were both out in the open, which made the shots much easier. She wasn’t too far away from her target, about three hundred and fifty yards out.

“I see them. Who are you gonna take out first?” asked Wendy.

“The guy on the left. He’s the most obstructed by the vehicle. The other guy is an easy shot, so I’ll hit him second,” said Lucretia before slowing her heart rate in preparation for the shot. “You ready?”

Wendy gave a slight nod while continuing to watch through her spotter’s scope. “Yeah,” she said.

Lucretia took aim and fired her first shot, hitting the guy on the left straight through the head. She watched as the second guy looked over in confusion to see the first guy slump to the ground. As he looked in the distance to see where the shot came from, a second shot came flying through his cranium. In a matter of mere seconds, they were both dead on the ground.

“That was amazing,” said Wendy as she observed everything through the scope, though, the loud sounds of the gunshots were still ringing in her ears.

“It wasn’t too hard. Now let’s head back and get the cars to the mansion. Do you know how to drive?” asked Lucretia.

“A little,” said Wendy as she stood up with the spotter’s scope in hand.

“As long as you can get the other car back to the property, then that’s fine,” said Lucretia as she got up.

They made their way back to where they encountered the first guy and prepared to head back home. Everything was exactly as they had left it, so they made their way over to their car. Lucretia disassembled her rifle and put all the parts back into hidden compartment in her sedan. After that, Wendy put all their shopping bags back into the trunk then went over to Lucretia.

“So… I’m just supposed to drive the dead guy’s car back to the house?” asked Wendy.

“Yeah. Shouldn’t be too hard. Just follow the road all the way back. I’ll be ahead of you, so don’t floor it and risk hitting me or crashing,” said Lucretia. “But, if you’re good, I’ll let you have some fun with it later.”

Wendy smiled and gave her a nod. “I won’t let you down, ma’am,” she said. She then went to get the car keys from the dead man while Lucretia got into her own car.

Lucretia decided to just leave the body there and take care of it later. On the way back home, they passed the SUV and the other two men she shot earlier. They checked the bodies and found two pistols, some money, and ammunition on them. Since the handguns were the same as the one Wendy had already, Lucretia decided to just sell them back on Neonia.

Once they were back home, Lucretia parked her sedan back in the garage and waited for Wendy to get there. She got out of the car and walked outside just as Wendy pulled in front of her and parked. “Glad I don’t have to teach you to drive as well. That’s something I wouldn’t have looked forward to,” said Lucretia as Wendy got out of the car.

“Yeah, well. Like I said before, I may have stolen a car or two back on Neonia,” said Wendy. She moved around the front of the car she drove and leaned back on the hood. “So, what are we going to do about the bodies?”

Lucretia stood there for a moment, thinking about a potential plan. “Well, we are in the middle of nowhere, miles away from the nearest signs of civilization. We could just pile the bodies in one of the vehicles, drive it far far away, then set it on fire to get rid of the evidence. It’ll be a while before any authorities find it, and there’ll be little to nothing left that would lead them back here.”

Wendy thought the plan over in her head before giving an approving nod. “Yeah, sure. That’s sound like a plan,” she said, a bit anxious about getting caught by the police.

“Let me get changed into something a bit more… appropriate for messy, physical labor. You should do the same,” said Lucretia as she began walking back into the garage. “Don’t forget to get your stuff from the trunk.”

“Uh, right. I’ll do that,” said Wendy as she followed Lucretia then went over to the trunk of their car. She grabbed all her bags and shuffled into the house, heading back to her room to change clothes.

After changing clothes, Lucretia and Wendy met out front of the garage to finish up their business. Lucretia was dressed in generic, black fatigues, a black t-shirt, and black combat boots. Wendy, on the other hand, was just wearing plain jeans, a tank-top, and sneakers.

“All right. You ready to do this?” asked Lucretia as she looked to Wendy.

“Yeah. I guess,” said Wendy.

Lucretia saw Wendy’s nervousness and went over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’ll be fine,” she said with a reassuring smile.

Wendy gave Lucretia a nod and calmed down. “Okay, ma’am,” she said before looking to the car she drove. “So, what’s first?”

“First, we get the bodies and load them into one of the dead guys’ cars. I’m thinking we keep the sedan since it’ll be easier to load the bodies into the SUV, but we’ll see when we get there,” said Lucretia with her arms crossed. She then went back into the garage and retrieved a large can of fuel. “Here, take this and load into the trunk of that car. We’re going to use this to set the care with the bodies on fire.”

“Oh, uh. Okay then,” said Wendy as she took the gas can and started walking towards the other car. She went over to the trunk and placed the can down on the ground beside it.

While Wendy was dealing with that, Lucretia retrieved a few more things from the garage before joining her by the car. She got into the driver’s seat while Wendy sat in the passenger’s seat. She then started up the car and drove back down the road to where the SUV was. When they got there, Lucretia handed Wendy a pair of latex gloves to put on before they got out of the car.

Lucretia went over to the SUV and looked around the interior for anything worth taking. She checked all around the seats, glove compartment, and the trunk, but she didn’t find anything interesting. The SUV was a bit beat up, so she decided to just load the bodies into the back of it and ditch it in the middle of nowhere. With Wendy’s help, she loaded the two dead bodies on the ground into the trunk, making sure not to get blood on themselves or leave prints on the cars. The gloves Lucretia brought helped with that. After taking care of the bodies, she let Wendy drive the car while she drove the SUV.

They drove back to the first guy and loaded him into the SUV as well. After that, Lucretia told Wendy to follow her as they drove back to the main road. Lucretia didn’t want to just start driving into the wilderness from her property; that would’ve left a trail that the police could’ve potentially tracked. If they drove on the paved road for a while then got off, it would’ve decreased the chances of the police tracking the vehicles back to her place. She drove for fifteen minutes down the road in the opposite direction of the nearest city, then she went off road and continued that way. Wendy followed after Lucretia in the SUV, wondering where she was going.

Lucretia kept driving for a few more miles, heading deeper into the wilderness before finally stopping. She slowed down and eventually came to a stop in a clearing. Wendy slowed down and parked a few feet away from Lucretia.

“Is this where we’re going to ditch the truck?” asked Wendy after getting out of her car.

Lucretia was standing by the trunk of the SUV, reaching for the latch to open it up. “Yeah. Get the gas from the trunk. I’ll get things ready over here,” she said as she looked to the corpses piled there. She then started tearing pieces of cloth from one of the guys’ shirts, tying them together to form some sort of rope. After she had enough, she went over to Wendy who had retrieved the gas can.

“You might want to park the car further away than this. Over there should be good,” said Lucretia as she pointed to a spot about twenty feet away.

“Uh, okay. Why? You gonna blow up the car?” asked Wendy.

“I might. We’ll just have to wait and see. Setting cars on fire isn’t exactly something I’m experienced in,” said Lucretia.

While Wendy went about moving the car, Lucretia took the gas can and got to work. She doused the inside of the SUV with gas, making sure to get an extra amount all over the bodies and soaking their clothes in the flammable liquid. After that, she went about coating the outside of the vehicle with the remaining gas. Once the can was empty, she set off to the side then popped open the gas cover. She undid the cap and put the cloth rope she fashioned from the shreds of shirt into it, leaving half of it sticking out of the gas intake. After that, she took the empty gas can over to where Wendy was parked and stashed it in the trunk.

“You gonna shoot the thing, or…?” asked Wendy as she looked to the SUV while standing by the passenger’s side of the car.

“You’ll see,” said Lucretia as she made her way around to the driver’s side door. She sat in the seat and began fiddling with something.

Wendy was curious as to what she was doing and poked her head into the car. “Whatcha got there?” she asked.

“Oh, nothin’, just something to spice things up,” said Lucretia as she showed Wendy what she had been doing. She had fashioned a Molotov Cocktail using the things she brought along from the garage. She got out of the car and went over to Wendy. “How good is your throwing arm?”

“My- My throwing arm?” asked Wendy.

“Yeah. You’re gonna light this up and throw it. Unless you don’t want to…,” said Lucretia, holding out the Molotov at first before withdrawing it back.

Wendy pouted slightly then extended her hand. “Just watch. I can hit the SUV no problem,” she said.

Lucretia smiled, handing the Molotov and lighter over to Wendy. “Don’t miss. It’s the only one we got,” she said.

Wendy then smiled and took the items from Lucretia. “Cool! I’ve never actually got to use one of these before,” she said.

“If you need to move closer, don’t be afraid to do so. Just make sure you run back here after you toss the Molotov. Don’t know if the car will blow once the flame reaches the gas tank. But one can hope,” said Lucretia.

Wendy gave Lucretia a nod then got ready. She took a few steps closer to the SUV before using the lighter to ignite the Molotov. Once it was lit, she heaved it with all her might and sent it flying through the air. The Molotov arched through the air and hit its target, splashing across the hood of the SUV and lighting the vehicle on fire in mere seconds. Wendy then hurried back and took cover behind the car where Lucretia was.

“How was that?” asked Wendy with a satisfied grin.

“Couldn’t have done it better myself. Now, let’s see if it explodes, and if it doesn’t, oh well,” said Lucretia.

The two remained crouched down behind the car, using it as a barrier between them and the SUV on fire. They watched as the vehicle was completely engulfed in flames, seeing the paint char and the windows break once the flames reached them. They were about to give up and head back home until the flames eventually reached the fuel tank. The SUV then exploded, sending shrapnel in all directions. Fortunately, Lucretia and Wendy were at a safe distance and weren’t hurt. Wendy was excited by the explosion, cheering out loud as the SUV continued to burn. Lucretia, on the other hand, had seen things blow up before and just smiled at Wendy’s excitement. After watching for a bit longer, the two got back in the car and drove back home.

When they got back to the estate, Lucretia just parked the car in the driveway and decided to deal with it later. Having dealt with a lot that day, the two of them decided to just take easy for the remainder of the day. After going through their new goods, they took showers to clean up before having dinner together.


	9. Busted

It had been six years since Lucretia first took Wendy under her tutelage to become a galaxy-renowned assassin. Along the way, the two felons became close friends as Wendy picked up the tools-of-the-trade quickly from Lucretia’s instruction. After just a couple of months of training, Lucretia brought her on her first mission, which was an easy long-range assassination. Wendy stuck to her training and was able to pull off the job all by herself with Lucretia acting as a backup, just in case.

Not only did Lucretia and Wendy garner fame in the criminal underworld as two of the best female assassins, they also became renowned in the public sphere. Lucretia continued to donate to charities and public foundations while Wendy acted as her personal assistant. During the off hours, they lived a life of luxury together, gaining notoriety as a couple of happy, go-lucky gamblers and spendthrifts; however, like with all good things, nothing lasted forever.

“Hahaha! Winner winner, fancy dinner!” said Lucretia as she got another blackjack at the Blackjack table. She and Wendy were having a good time at a casino in Bower City, living things up a usual.

“Wow, ma’am. You’re on a roll,” said Wendy, looking over Lucretia’s shoulder as she stood behind her.

“I know. C’mon, why don’t you take a seat? Have some fun,” said Lucretia.

“Blackjack isn’t my game. I’m more of a Roulette and Craps player. Card games are just too complicated for me,” said Wendy with a smile.

“Suit yourself,” said Lucretia, returning her attention to the game.

“Say, shouldn’t we be heading over to meet Fowler? It’s almost time to meet up with him,” said Wendy.

Lucretia looked at her watch and decided Wendy was right. “I guess so. Meet me outside and get the car. I just need to cash all this out,” she said. She played her last hand then took her tray of chips, tipping the dealer with a twenty-dollar one. While Wendy went out to get the car from the valet, Lucretia made her way over to the chip exchange to cash out.

“Looks like you did well again, Ms. Luck,” said the teller as she took Lucretia’s chips from her.

“What can I say? I’m good at what I do. And a bit of luck doesn’t hurt,” said Lucretia with a smile. The teller deposited her winnings into her bank account and handed her a receipt. She thanked the teller then went outside to rendezvous with Wendy.

Wendy already had the car and was sitting in the driver’s seat, ready to head on out. “How much did you win, ma’am?” she asked as Lucretia got into the car.

“I tripled my starting amount so… about fifty thousand dollars. Not bad, wouldn’t you say?” said Lucretia with a wink.

Wendy put the car into drive and drove out of the parking lot, heading to the storage unit that contained their mission gear and vehicle. When they got there, Lucretia got out of the car and walked over to the storage unit’s door. After making sure they were completely alone, she opened it up, allowing Wendy to park the car inside the storage unit. Once the car was in, Lucretia headed inside and closed the door from within.

The unit was big enough to hold three vehicles, so they had ample room to store two cars plus an area for weapon and gear storage. Lucretia and Wendy went over to the vehicle already parked in the storage unit and opened the trunk. It was a basic-looking sedan used by the pair when they were doing jobs. Each of them pulled out a duffel bag and went over to their personal wall lockers.

“So where are we meeting Fowler this time?” asked Wendy as she began to disrobe.

“Bailey’s Bar. Says he got another job for us, so I hope it’s a good one,” said Lucretia as she opened up her locker and took out her Lady Luck outfit.

The two of them continued chat while getting changed into their alter-ego outfits. Like Lucretia, who went by the name of Lady Luck, Wendy also chose a name for herself. She decided to work under the name of Lady Rook, using the codename Lucretia first gave her while on the job. She wore a similar outfit like Lucretia’s, but she added her own personal flair to it. When they were ready, Wendy got into the black sedan while Lucretia approached the door.

Before they left the garage, Lucretia turned on her personal portable jammer, which distorted all security camera feeds when she was in close proximity to them. She then opened up the garage door and allowed Wendy to drive out. After closing the door, Lucretia got into the car and let Wendy drive her to their next destination.

“Hey, Devan, how long do you plan on being an assassin and taking these jobs?” asked Wendy out of the blue.

“As long as my body will allow. Why do you ask?” said Lucretia, who was on a first name basis with Wendy by then. She had gotten used to her name of Devan and didn’t mind her calling her that.

“I was just wondering. Eventually, you’re going to have to retire, but I may not be ready to retire just yet when that time comes. I might want to continue with this lifestyle, so I’m just wondering how long I have to wait before I get to go solo,” said Wendy.

Lucretia smiled at her partner’s eagerness to be independent. “So eager to break free from the master and apprentice relationship, are we? Well, I’m not about to stop anytime soon, so I’ll still be around,” she said, glancing over at Wendy. “Hey, you’re still my apprentice and have a lot to learn, so just enjoy it while it lasts.”

Wendy continued driving and arrived at the bar, parking in front. When they made their way inside, Fowler was sitting at a table when they arrived, reclined in his chair and smoking a cigarette.

“Good of you to join me,” said Fowler before blowing out some smoke.

“So, what have you got for us today?” asked Lucretia, taking a seat across from him next to Wendy.

“First off, let me just say how impressed I am with the last job you did. That was no cake walk,” said Fowler.

“Yeah. It was tricky, but I got it done, like always,” said Lucretia with a conceited smirk.

“Yes, well, I’ve got another job for you, and this one is much easier than the last, in my opinion,” said Fowler.

“Lay it on me,” said Lucretia.

“It’s a simple kill job. Take out the guy by any means necessary, which in your case probably means death by sniper rifle. Unless you want to try something new and get creative?” said Fowler with a small chuckle.

“I think I’ll just stick to what I know,” said Lucretia.

“Yeah sure. As I was saying, the guy you have to kill is some politician running for mayor. He’s going to be making a public speech in the park a week from now. You know Brent Flintlock?” asked Fowler.

Lucretia shook her head, not liking what she was hearing. “I thought I made it clear a long time ago. I don’t. Kill. Government. Officials,” she said, crossing her arms.

“Why not? The guy’s probably going to be crooked anyway. It’s always the same here,” said Fowler.

“I just don’t like killing government officials. It’s too risky. Sure, I may kill police officers, security guards, and the occasional soldier now and then, but the city can live without a few of them. If I start taking out the people in power, law enforcement is going to take things a lot more seriously, which puts me in jeopardy,” said Lucretia.

“He isn’t a government official… yet. There are others running besides him. All the client wants is the elimination of just that one,” said Fowler.

Lucretia thought it over, trying to decide if she wanted the job or not, but before she could give her answer, Wendy spoke up on her behalf. “We’ll take it,” said Wendy, giving Lucretia a wily smile as she looked over at her.

“Okay. I’ll be sending you the specifics once I get back,” said Fowler as he stood up.

Lucretia was about to stop him, but Wendy grabbed her arm and urged her not to speak. “What are you doing!? I was about to pass on the job!” said Lucretia in a hushed voice once Fowler was gone.

“C’mon, Devan, we can do this job. We need to start expanding our field of work,” said Wendy.

“You know, there is a reason why we haven’t been caught yet, and that reason is a strict set of rules that I’ve adhered to since I began this life. You start veering from that path, and you’re bound to end up dead or in jail,” said Lucretia.

“And what’s so bad about killing government officials? Like you said, you’ve killed police and soldiers before. How is this any different?” asked Wendy.

“The difference is that they die all the time. It’s a risk acknowledged to come with the job. Politicians aren’t supposed to be dying by gunshot wounds. Stuff like that draws attention, unwanted attention. This job isn’t like the others, despite how easy it is,” said Lucretia.

“Just give it a shot. One job. One time. A clean in-and-out shot from a random high-rise. Shouldn’t be a problem. We’ve done jobs like this before,” said Wendy.

Lucretia continued to think about the job, annoyed that she had to do a job she didn’t want to. “Fine. We’ll do it, but we have to be EXTRA careful this time. I don’t want to get caught, got it?” she said.

The two of them continued to talk about the job while they had a couple of drinks.

#

Over the next few days, Lucretia and Wendy spent their time preparing for the job, scoping out viable firing positions and practicing for the shot on Alkion. When it came time for the assassination, they went to the storage unit and changed into their mission gear. As they were gearing up, they went over the job specifics in their head, and when they were ready, they got into the black sedan and headed towards their firing position. As they grew near, Lucretia pulled into a random back alley and stopped.

“Why are we stopping? You’re not going to park here, are you?” asked Wendy.

Lucretia kept her hands on the wheel then turned to Wendy. “Earlier you said you wanted to do more solo-ops, right?” she asked.

“Yeah, but I was thinking about doing that when you retire. I mean, I wouldn’t mind doing them now, but you’re still my mentor and you lead our jobs. Why do you ask?” asked Wendy.

“Well, I’m still not feeling so hot about this job. If you want to do it, this is your chance you get a taste of going solo. The mission is easy enough. If you like it, you can do more by yourself, but I’ll still get a small percentage. If you don’t like it, we’ll just drop the topic, okay?” said Lucretia.

“You mean it? I can go in alone?” asked Wendy. She then smiled as Lucretia gave her a nod of approval. “Wow, thanks, Devan.”

“I’ll drop you off here and pick you up at this same exact location when you’re done. I’ll be chilling at the penthouse until then,” said Lucretia.

“Roger that. I won’t let you down,” said Wendy. She then exited the vehicle and took her cello case from the trunk, which acted as a covert gun case for her rifle. She waved goodbye as Lucretia drove off, heading back to the penthouse.

Lucretia turned on some music and tried not to worry about Wendy going off on her own. _‘She’ll be fine. I’ve trained her well and taught her everything I know. We’ve pulled off similar shots in highly dense urban areas before. No problem.’_ She sighed and continued to focus on driving. _‘I just hope nothing goes wrong. She’s been a good friend and I’d hate to lose another.’_

#

“Finally, I think it’s starting,” said Wendy as she looked through her scope.

Wendy was situated on top of a hotel bordering the edge of the park, lying prone between two industrial pipes. She flipped down the bipod and adjusted her scope. The pulpit and stage were already set up, so she had some time to plan her shot before the target came. There was a large crowd of people in attendance around the stage, but it didn’t hinder her shot any. Fortunately for her, there were no trees or foliage in the way from where she was situated, so she had a clear viewing angle. It couldn’t have been any easier. The target was fully exposed, she had a clear line of sight, and she was well hidden at a distance. She had every advantage. It was as if it was too good of a shot, but she forced any doubts out of her mind.

The crowd cheered as her target grew nearer, so she shouldered the weapon and got ready. “There he is…,” she said under her breath, watching as politician took center stage from behind the curtain. She took aim, closing one eye as she peered through the scope, placing the crosshair right in the middle of his forehead.

“Sorry, it’s nothing personal,” said Wendy as she pulled the trigger and fired her rifle. The bullet traveled along the path she set for it, except her target didn’t fall dead with his brains splattered all over the stage. Instead, her target just flinched, looking at the projectile lodged in the bullet-resistant glass he was surrounded in. Immediately, security and police began flooding the area, moving the official to safety and searching for the sniper.

“Uh oh, that’s not good,” said Wendy. Suddenly, she heard a dropship in the distance headed straight for her location. It turned on a set of spotlights which exposed her position. “Shit! This is NOT good.” She picked up her rifle and sprinted towards the roof access door.

“Sir, I only saw one sniper. What do you want to do?” asked the dropship pilot.

“We’ll continue the pursuit on the ground. Take us over the roof. Boxer, you’ve got point,” said one of the soldiers in the dropship. He was man clad in military gear, but he didn’t seem to be affiliated with any government or formal military unit. He was in-charge of a special unit tasked with bringing in the infamous assassin Lady Luck.

The dropship hovered over the building Wendy was in and opened its side doors, letting a squad of soldiers rappel down onto the roof. The squad then hurried into the staircase and followed in pursuit of Wendy.

 _‘Fuck! I knew that shot was too good to be true. Damn it. I should’ve listened to Devan. I should’ve listened!’_ thought Wendy as she hurried down the stairs. She got out her phone and called Lucretia for help.

#

A couple hours passed as Lucretia relaxed in her penthouse, waiting for the call from Wendy. She had a drink or two and just reclined on her couch, watching a show on the television. She changed out of her mission uniform and left it in a duffel bag, stashed away in the trunk of the black sedan in her garage. She was wearing nothing but her underwear and a silk robe, sipping on some wine.

“What’s taking her so long? She should’ve been done by now,” said Lucretia, swishing around the wine in her glass. She then noticed her phone ringing and picked it up, assuming Wendy was done with the mission. “What took you so long? Need pick up?” After finishing her sentence, she held the phone away from her ear as Wendy began yelling into her phone.

“Devan, it was a setup! They knew we were coming!” said Devan.

“Whoa, hold on there. What’s happening? Are you okay?” asked Lucretia a she stood up.

“Right now- I’m being pursued by the military… and police. I’m in a stairwell… heading down to the ground floor from the firing position. So far, I haven’t been shot at,” said Wendy, panting as she spoke while hurrying down the flights of stairs as fast as she could. “Wait, hold on- Fuck!” She hung up and pocketed her phone as the soldiers above her fired off a couple shots in her direction.

“Wendy? Wendy!?” said Lucretia as she looked at her phone. She then tried calling Wendy again, but she didn’t pick up.

Wendy burst out of the staircase and found herself on the ground floor. Just as she left the stairwell, she came in contact with two police officers. She quickly drew her rifle and opened fire, hitting both of them in the chest. As they fell to the ground, she attracted the attention of other officers there. They drew their pistols and began firing at her, almost hitting her in vital areas on a few occasions. She took a few hits to the chest, but her vest saved her from getting mortally wounded.

Wendy began to panic as she looked around. With nowhere to go, she went into another staircase and headed back upstairs to see if she could find another way out. As she was climbing up the stairs, she heard a soldier getting closer from above. She cursed to herself and exited onto the current floor she was on, looking behind her to make sure she wasn’t being followed. She drew her sidearm and kept it aimed at the door, just waiting for someone to come through. After waiting a few seconds, she lowered her weapon. Just as she did, one of the soldiers pursuing her burst through the door with her weapon at the ready. Wendy quickly aimed her pistol and fired, as did the soldier in front of her. They both landed a few hits on each other, but each of them was wearing body armor, so they weren’t injured too badly. Seeking cover, Wendy rammed through the first door she could and found herself in an employee laundry room with no way out.

“Shit!” said Wendy while looking around the room. She then poked her head out of the door, firing off a couple more shots down the hall. The squad of soldiers was already out of the staircase and in the hallway, taking cover as she fired at them. She spent her clip and went back inside the room she was, frantically looking around for an escape. She then noticed the laundry chute and decided that was the only way to avoid capture. She tossed her rifle away and opened up the chute, wiggling herself into the wall. Just as she was almost fully inside, one of her pursuers entered the room and fired off a round, clipping her ear. Wendy let go of the chute and plummeted down a few floors, arriving down in the basement where all the behind the scenes activity of the hotel was conducted.

“Where did she go?” asked the squad leader as he entered the room Wendy was just in.

“Down the chute. I can fit in there, so I’ll go after her,” said Boxer, hurrying over to the laundry bin Wendy went down.

“We’ll meet you streetside,” said the squad leader before taking the rest of his squad out of the room.

Wendy landed hard in a metal hamper, which barely had any linen in it to cushion her fall. She cursed loudly as employees in the room ran away at the sight of her drawing her pistol around. Getting to her feet, she tumbled out of the container and landed on the ground with a thud. As she tried to stand up, her left leg stung with pain. It appeared she sprained it during the fall through the laundry chute.

Wendy only made it a few feet away from the bin until she heard another thud behind her. The soldier named Boxer landed in the laundry bin as well and looked to Wendy. Without hesitation, Wendy quickly raised her gun and fired at the soldier, but Boxer ducked down into the bin. The rounds ricocheted off of the metal container, protecting Boxer from harm. Wendy didn’t waste any more time and hurried out of the room, taking a hallway down to a loading bay which led outside. Boxer jumped out of the bin and continued her pursuit after Wendy. After running through the back alleys and side streets, Wendy got out her phone and called Lucretia again.

Lucretia was pacing back and forth in her penthouse, contemplating on what to do. Once her phone rang again, she anxiously picked it up. “Wendy!? Where are you? Are you hurt!?” she asked.

“I don’t know where I am! I’ve been running for blocks now! They’re still behind me. I’m beat up pretty badly. Been shot quite a few times already and my leg’s bruised to hell,” said Wendy.

“Just hold on. I’m coming to get you,” said Lucretia. Before Wendy could say anything else, she hung up and hurried to her door. She didn’t even bother changing and just slipped on a pair of slippers and tied her robe shut. She made her way down to the lobby and hurried into the garage to get changed into her disguise. While she was getting ready, her phone rang again. She had just finished getting changed when she answered her phone. “Wendy, where are you? I’m already at the car,” she said, pulling her car keys out of her pocket.

It took a few moments for Wendy to respond. She was struggling to breathe and the only thing Lucretia could hear for the first few seconds was panting. “I’m… already in the garage,” she said.

“You mean here? At Banks Tower!?” asked Lucretia.

“Yeah, I’m sorry, Devan. I didn’t know where else to go,” said Wendy.

“Just hold on. I’ll be right over,” said Lucretia before quickly hanging up. She then turned on her security scrambler before rushing out of her car to help Wendy. She ran up the parking garage ramp and saw her limping her way towards her. She sprinted over to her and caught her as the fatigue from the escape took its toll on her body.

Wendy was dripping blood from several gunshot wounds she sustained during the run back. One of the bullets found its way passed the vest and into her upper chest, near her neck. “Devan… I’m sorry,” she said, looking into Lucretia’s eyes.

Lucretia was growing teary eyed as she held her partner in her arms. “Stay with me. I’ll get you patched up. You can’t die. I won’t let it,” she said.

Wendy smiled and placed her hand on Lucretia’s cheek. “You didn’t let me die. You gave me life, and for that, I thank you,” she said. Her eyes began to close and her arm went limp, falling back down by her side.

“Wendy, wake up. You can’t die!” said Lucretia, trying to shake her awake, but it was no use. Wendy had already passed away due to her wounds. Lucretia sat there for a moment, holding her friend close as she wept. Just as she was about to stand up, Boxer caught up and saw Lucretia hunched over Wendy’s dead body.

“You there! Put your hands where I can see them,” said Boxer, moving closer to Lucretia with her pistol aimed at her.

“You... Are you the one that killed Wendy?” asked Lucretia, gritting her teeth as she glared at the advancing soldier. She then gently laid Wendy’s body on the ground before standing up. The two of them were within ten feet of each other, each keeping their eyes focused on each other.

“Lady Luck, I presume?” asked Boxer, but Lucretia remained silent and defiant. “I’ll take that as a yes. And to answer your question, probably. I was the one chasing her down and shooting at her. I’m just surprised she made it all the way here.”

“You’re going to pay for this,” said Lucretia, forming her hands into tight fists.

“I doubt it. Now turn around and get your hands on your head. My superior would like to have a few words with you,” said Boxer as she moved to detain her.

Lucretia sneered at Boxer, turning around and placing her hands on her head. “I just have one question before you take me in. How did the Cerillian Knights know about the hit?” she asked.

“You know us?” asked Boxer.

“Your uniform is unmistakable. You’re a Cerillian Knight all right, the scourge of the underworld,” said Lucretia.

“I’m flattered that you’re familiar with us. Well, one of your contacts ratted you two out. One of the local officers had a source that notified us of the planned assassination. All we had to do was wait. Our main objective was to get you, but your partner here was there instead. Probably would’ve been still alive if you were there with her,” said Boxer.

Just as Boxer was about to reach out to grab Lucretia, she quickly turned around and knocked the pistol out of the knight’s hand. Boxer reacted swiftly and tried to detain Lucretia by force, but Lucretia was no pushover. Even though her specialty was sniping, Lucretia was a formidable fighter back in the academy, having focused on the Krav Maga style of fighting. The two engaged in a hand-to-hand fight and were evenly matched. Lucretia recognized Boxer’s fighting style after exchanging several blows between each other in the parking garage.

Eventually, Lucretia got in a lucky hit and knocked Boxer back. She used the moment to regain her footing and prepared to advance. “You’re pretty good. I actually recognize that style of yours, you know? A mixture of boxing and techniques taught by the Crimzon Roses, right? I guess that’s how you got your codename, eh, Boxer?” she said.

Boxer was caught off guard by her remark, surprised at Lucretia’s familiarity with her moves. “How are you familiar with Crimzon Rose fighting style?” she asked.

“I’ve been around, and my sister was a boxer, so I know how to counter everything you can throw at me,” said Lucretia with a cocky smirk.

“Oh yeah? Try me,” said Boxer. She began to sidestep as did Lucretia, moving in the opposite direction as they began circling each other. Seeing her chance, Boxer struck first, executing a side kick to Lucretia’s midsection. Lucretia saw it coming and easily countered it by grabbing a hold of her leg, but that was what the knight was hoping for. While Lucretia was too busy trying to deal with the kick, Boxer pulled out a knife and slashed at Lucretia. Lucretia let go of her opponent and leapt backwards, dodging the strike. Boxer kept on the pressure and continued her assault with her knife in hand.

Just as Boxer lashed forward with another attack, Lucretia grabbed a hold of her arm and twisted it, disarming her of the knife. As she cried in pain, Lucretia kicked her in the stomach then grappled her in a head lock, gripping her neck tighter with her arm. Boxer struggled for air, gasping as her arms tried to pry Lucretia away from her. It was no use though and with a firm jerk, Lucretia broke her neck, releasing her grip as she fell to the ground.

Lucretia took a moment to catch her breath as she looked at her defeated foe. She looked around to make sure no other knights were lurking about, then she took a brief moment to check Boxer’s body. She took the knight’s wallet and pulled out her ID card, instantly recognizing the name and picture. She removed the knight’s mask and compared the picture to her face.

“Yup, it’s you. I remember you. You’re the prodigy that always thought she had a chip on her shoulder,” said Lucretia before throwing the ID card back at the corpse. “You may have thought you were hot shit, but my sister is way better than you.” After exhaling, she didn’t waste any more time hanging around.

Lucretia hurried back to her garage and started up the black sedan. As she was driving towards the garage entrance, she passed by Wendy’s body. She took a brief moment to look at her one last time before stopping. She popped open the trunk and quickly got out, taking Wendy’s body and stowing it in the trunk. After that, she quickly got back in the car and continued driving. Once she was out of the parking garage, she made haste and drove to the storage unit to switch cars before heading to the spaceport to get her ship. She needed to head to her mansion on Alkion and lay low for a bit until she figured things out. When she got to her ship, she quickly started it up and flew into space before jumping to hyperspace towards Alkion.

“She’s dead. They killed her… my friend. My only friend in this fucked up world, and now, she’s gone,” said Lucretia, burying her face in her hands as the autopilot flew the ship. For the first time in years, she was alone… again.


End file.
